Impossible
by catey123
Summary: Brenda lets her career come first, and it causes some big changes. Eventually Brenda/Flynn.
1. Chapter 1

"I really don't know why I'm surprised, Brenda. I always knew you loved your job more than me. I just kept hoping it wasn't true." Fritz said to his wife.

"Fritzi, you're wrong! You know I love you! I just can't leave here." Brenda pleaded with her husband.

"I have worked too hard to get a promotion I've wanted for years. I didn't want the other one, but this one, I do. It's finally happening for me, and I want you with me."

"Let me think about it, okay? I can't do this right now. I'm in the middle of this case, and I can't even think about going anywhere. And besides, if you take the job, aren't you putting your career before us?" Brenda fought back a little, considering she'd felt blindsided by his little announcement.

"It's not the same thing. I don't throw myself into work as much as you do. I can disconnect from it. You see, Brenda, it's always going to be your job before me. Always. And I had hoped it would change, I love you, Brenda, but I can't do this anymore. I'm taking the promotion. You can either come with me, be my wife, or stay here, I don't care anymore." With that, Fritz Howard walked out of the bedroom where Brenda and he had been discussing his recent job offer and seconds later she heard the front door slam as he left the house.

Brenda stared out the doorway, before gingerly sitting down on the bed. She had no idea how things had gotten so bad, so fast since she had arrived home. They'd been out for dinner for their anniversary and had come home, when Fritz had announced he had exciting news for the two of them. When he'd announced his recent offer of a top level job in the FBI but that it would require a transfer to Washington, Brenda had been stunned. She hadn't said anything initially, but Fritz's happiness had turned to anger when he realized that Brenda wasn't quite as happy about this as he was. Brenda had put off answering, knowing that she couldn't quit here. As much as she loved Fritz, she loved her job too, no matter what she'd told him in the past, and she'd just always been able to balance the two. Now, she was being forced to choose between them, and the job was winning, just like Fritz had always thought.

Sighing, she got up and grabbed her phone, then put it back down. He just needed time to cool down, and when he did, he'd come home and they'd talk things out. If she was lucky, she could talk him out of leaving for Washington. If not, she didn't want to think about it, and a cold feeling swept through her.

Brenda sat on the couch and switched on the tv, settling some on some inane show that didn't require too much of her attention. Her mind was focused on Fritz, and where she stood with him. He was angry, there was no doubt about that. He was always angry on the subject of her job, and it standing in their way. Logically, she knew this was a good move for him, moving up in the FBI. But she loved her job here, and couldn't imagine leaving it. She had seriously never thought it would get to this point. Fritz had always seemed more than supportive of her, even more so after he was appointed liaison to the LAPD. But now, a bigger opportunity had come along and he wanted her with him. She just wasn't sure she was ready or even wanted to go.

She waited for him to come home, but fell asleep on the couch waiting for him. When she awoke in the middle of the night, she came to with a start, got up and checked to see if he was in bed. He wasn't. He hadn't come home. Grabbing her phone, she did call him, but only got his voice mail. She puttered around, and finally got ready for bed, crawling in to get a couple more hours sleep, all the while worried about Fritz's whereabouts. She slept fitfully the rest of the night.

Morning came, and she still had no word from her husband. She tried phoning again, only to get the voice mail once again. Sighing, she put on a pot of coffee and got ready for work. Just as she was writing a note for him, he walked in the door. Jumping up, she tried to give him a hug, but he held her back.

"Don't Brenda, just don't." Fritz said.

"Fritzi, I've been worried sick about you! Where have you been?" Brenda said in her sweetest voice.

"Really? Cause that would have been a first in a long time, you worried about me. I stayed in a hotel for the night. I needed time to think things out, and that's all I've done all night. And when it comes down to it, I think we need a trial separation. You obviously do not want to come to Washington, and I'm not forcing you to do anything you don't want. I love you, but I'm tired of everything. Really tired."

Brenda stared at Fritz, unbelieving of his suggestion. They'd been through so much together, and yet he seemed so prepared to throw it all away. Maybe she was prepared too. Still, she really didn't want to see it end with him. She loved him with all her heart.

"Fritz, I'm sorry." was all she could say.

"I am too, Brenda. I love you, but your job is always going to be more important. Always. And I can't compete with that anymore."

"I'm not asking you to compete! I've always put you first!"

"You're lying to yourself and me, Brenda. Your job always has come first. I knew you were lying to me at the last promotion, when you said I came first. I knew you were lying, but I hoped. We've been married long enough, I really had hoped you'd go with me where ever, but I do know it's not going to happen. As much as I love you, you're never going to change. You'd be miserable in Washington, I know this. And you'd grow to hate me. So, I'm letting go first. A trial separation, maybe we'll see how much we miss each other, and you'll be able to finally put me first."

Brenda opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say. He was right. If she moved, she'd make him miserable, it was the truth. But she couldn't just let him go.

"Why do you need to take this promotion? What is so important about it? I thought you were happy being the liaison to the LAPD!"

"I've enjoyed it, yes, but people still think I only got the job because you were up for Chief of Police. Hell, even my friends in the FBI think I only got that promotion because of you. All the stuff I've done for you over the years, people think I work only for you and the FBI second. And I'm tired of it. Do you know how it feels to have people think I only got the job because of you? At least with Washington, it's on my own merits, not yours."

Stung, Brenda turned away from him. She started to tear up, almost like she'd been struck in the face. His words cut her. He'd always been able to do that to her, make her feel like she always did the wrong thing. On one level, she knew he was right, but it didn't negate the fact that she had tried hard with this marriage. She'd loved him as much as she could, but it still wasn't enough.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything? Defend yourself? Defend us?" Fritz demanded.

"I can't Fritz, I can't. You're right, you are. If you think a trial separation is what we need, then I'm willing to go with it. I don't like it, I don't want you to go, but I'm not going to stand in the way of what you want."

"So, you'd just let me go, like that? Isn't "us" worth more than that?"

"I'm not the one letting go. You're the one who wants the separation,"

"So, you won't come with me?"

"No, not right now. If you're right, then some time away from each other will tell us. I'll quit my job and join you. If you're wrong, I guess I'll be staying in L.A., and we'll go from there."

"Fine then, Brenda, fine. I'll be by for some of my stuff later. I just came home to change for work." With that, Fritz turned around and stormed away from his wife.

Brenda stared after his retreating back, and felt her heart shattering into a million little pieces. What a nightmare her anniversary had turned out to be.


	2. Chapter 2

Brenda arrived at work, a shell of herself. The realization she'd given up her husband for her job was like a stake through her heart. She knew it was wrong, knew it. But she also knew that if she did go with him, it wouldn't be good. Not at all. She checked her car mirror, seeing her puffy eyes. There was no hiding the fact that she'd cried most of the way to work, and she quickly put on her sunglasses for her three block walk to the headquarters. She hoped her hat would help hide her face til she got safely to her office, and could lock herself away from everyone for awhile.

Unfortunately for Brenda, her plan went awry from the beginning. She reached the building and took off her sunglasses, hurrying on to the elevator with her head bent down. Not seeing where she was going, she ran smack into someone. Whoever it was put his hands out to steady her, and she almost burst out crying again. She immediately apologized, looking up as she did so and into the brown eyes of one Andrew Flynn. Quickly she looked down again.

"I'm so sorry, Lt. Flynn. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No problem, Chief. If you don't mind me asking, are you okay?" Flynn asked her, concerned by how she looked. It was obvious the Chief had been crying, and he knew very little could get her to do that, only her parents and husband.

"I'm fine, Lt., just feeling a little unwell. Thanks for asking, though." Cringing that she was once again lying to someone, exactly as Fritz accused her of, Brenda prayed the conversation would end.

Flynn could tell she didn't want to talk, so he let it drop, ending it with a "Whatever you say, Chief." in a tone that let Brenda know he knew she was lying.

They rode the rest of the way up to Major Crimes, and Brenda hurriedly went to her office, offering a quick hello as she passed her team. Flynn followed into the room more slowly, staring after Brenda's retreat to her office. The closing of her blinds immediately followed, and he knew the day at Major Crimes was going to be a rough one.

Provenza looked at Flynn and asked what he had done to piss the Chief off now, considering they hadn't even started work yet. Flynn immediately defended himself. "I didn't do anything! She ran into me in the elevator, you could tell she'd been crying before she ever got to work. Whatever happened, it wasn't because of me!"

Gabriel took interest in the conversation then, because the Chief had been so happy when she'd left work yesterday. It had been her anniversary, and she'd had a big night with her husband planned, from what she'd told him.

"That's strange, cause yesterday was her anniversary. Maybe Agent Howard forgot it and that's it." Gabriel said.

Flynn bristled at the mention of the Chief's husband. He didn't like him much, but he hated to think the guy would hurt the Chief like that. Where he'd once lived to torment Chief Johnson, now he was extremely protective of her, considering how many times she'd come through for him and saved his ass.

"Big FBI guy, he'd remember the date. I'm thinking something else happened. Question is, do we let her stew, or do we have Tao talk to her again, make sure she's okay?"

"What do you mean, have Tao talk to her? I talked to her last time, it's someone else's turn to make sure she's okay." Tao objected.

"Tao, it's the Chief. She likes you. And she already told me she's fine. Which she's not, but she's obviously not going to talk to me about it." Flynn replied.

"Well, I still elect you Flynn. You always manage to get out of it, it's about time you had your turn." Provenza spoke up.

"Gabriel can do it. He's still her favourite." Flynn scowled.

"Flynn, I want to stay her favourite. So, I elect you too." Gabriel smiled as he watched Flynn squirm.

Sanchez chimed in, making it four to one against Flynn. Throwing up his hands, he marched towards the Chief's office, stating as he went "If I get fired for this, I'm taking you all with me." The other four laughed as they watched Flynn knock on her door.

"Can I come in, Chief?" he asked tentatively.

"Is it important, Lt.? Something about the case?" Brenda said in way of answer.

Flynn let himself into her office and looked at her face. Her eyes were puffier than he'd thought, and red also. He felt for her, unexpectedly so.

"Chief, we can tell something is wrong. Is there anything we can do for you? You can take the day off, go home, we'll handle things on this end, only call if it's really important." Flynn said.

"No, no, no, Lt., I'm fine, I told you that. Nothing that going home will solve. It's the last place I want to be right now, anyway." Brenda shut up then, realizing she'd revealed more than she'd wanted to.

"You know I hate to pry about you, Chief. But it's obvious that something happened and we're all concerned about you. Are you sure you won't just take the day off? You look like you need it."

"Lt. Flynn, as much as it touches me that y'all are concerned about my well-being, I'm fine. My personal life will not interfere with my job. Now, have you got anything new about the case? " Brenda changed the subject.

Flynn sighed, realizing she wasn't going to talk about things at all. This is why Tao or Gabriel should have come in, he thought. At least she likes them. Damn the rest of them ganging up on him.

"No, nothing yet. We're waiting for you to come out, do the roundup, and get back to work. If you want, I can do it, if you aren't up to it." Flynn said, offering to help.

"It's okay, Lt., I'm fine, really I am. Just let me gather my files, I'll be out shortly." Brenda sighed. Escaping from anyone really wasn't going to work today, not at all, she thought to herself. Oh well, it's my job. It's why I'm staying here, not going with my husband. She caught herself before she teared up again.

"And Lt., I'd appreciate if you don't say anything to the rest that I might be having trouble at home. It's not something I really want to discuss right now." she lightly pleaded with him.

Flynn stood up, getting ready to leave. He looked at his Chief and said "Well, if you ever want to discuss it, I'm willing to listen. I know I'm not someone you'd normally confide in, but I promise you I'd never tell anyone anything you told me. If you need to vent, let me know. We're all here for you, Chief."

With that, he went out the door, surprised that he'd offered to be the Chief's confidant. Inside the office, Brenda was even more surprised. She stared at the door, shocked that she'd almost felt the need to tell Flynn about her awful night and morning. Flynn knew about the job taking its toll on marriages, he'd been through two wives. The job had won out for him too, making him a lot like her. Maybe someone did understand what she was going through. Turning back to her paperwork, she threw herself into it, wanting to forget.

The others questioned Flynn in the squad room, but he had nothing to tell them. What little she'd let slip, he'd keep secret. Instead he said "Well, if Tao or Gabriel had gone in like I wanted, maybe you'd have all your answers. I told you, the Chief isn't exactly one of my biggest fans. Whatever made you think she'd tell me anything?"

"Well, it was worth a shot, Flynn. First time for everything, you know." Provenza said.

"Very funny, Provenza. Next time, I volunteer you!"

"Not a chance, Flynn, not a chance." Provenza laughed.

Flynn chose to ignore his friend for now, instead turning to the work on his desk. He was more worried about the Chief then he let on, and wasn't quite sure why.

Brenda eventually entered the room, more composed, but not herself. She quickly ran through what they had so far, assigning Gabriel and Sanchez to go bring in a suspect for questioning. She asked Tao if the phone logs were dumped yet, and when she got a negative she snapped a little. Tao promised to have them done as soon as possible and went to work at it. Provenza was sent to review the security camera tapes with Bud in the hopes of finding some missing clue as to who had killed their victim. That left her with Flynn, and they went to question the victim's wife, who had professed to know nothing of her husbands activities and had refused to talk to them yesterday.

Brenda returned to her office to grab her purse before heading out. Flynn followed her in.

"Chief, are you sure you're up to this? You really aren't yourself."

"Don't worry, Lt., I can do my job. It's what I'm good at, remember?" she snapped back at him.

"Yes, ma'am, can't argue with that." Flynn replied, not pushing her any further. Whatever had happened between her and her husband had been bad, he had no doubt. The Chief was off her game today, which made him worry about the forthcoming interview. Still, he had faith in her. She was good at what she did, and even on an off day for her, she was still better than most, of that he was certain.


	3. Chapter 3

The interview had gone much better than Flynn had expected. The wife had actually talked to them today, not giving them any problem at all. And in all his years of watching his Chief, this was the first time when he'd seen her on the same wavelength as the wife, especially since there seemed to be problems in the marriage concerning her ambition for work and the victim's need for validation. It was like they bonded over a common issue and had an understanding somehow. He still wasn't quite sure what had happened, but the wife was more than cooperative and gave them plenty to work with, including the fact that the vic may have been having an affair with his assistant because her and him had grown apart. Flynn seen the pain in the Chief's eyes as she contemplated something, and wondered exactly had happened last night once again.

They finished up with new evidence, and Flynn at least thought the Chief was happy with the info they'd gotten. She was quiet on the way back to work, much as she'd been on the way to interview the wife.

"Lt., when we get back, do you think you can take this stuff up and get a start on it? I think I'll take your advice and go home. I really don't feel well. Call me if you need anything, okay. I just need to lay down for awhile."

"Sure thing, Chief. And same to you, you need anything, give me a ring. I'm around if you need a friendly ear."

"Thanks, Lt., I'll keep that in mind."

Flynn drove her to the parking lot where her car was. He didn't think she should have to walk three blocks to it, especially if she didn't feel well. He felt really bad for her, but didn't have a clue as to how to help. Whatever it was, she was hurting badly.

Brenda thanked him for dropping her off, and quickly climbed into her car. She couldn't believe she was leaving work voluntarily and going home. That should thrill Fritz, she thought to herself. Her wanting to be away from work. Maybe she should leave, go with him to Washington. He'd be happy, they'd be together. Work wouldn't be between them anymore. Maybe she could pop out a couple of babies, give him the family he wanted. She wasn't hot on the idea herself, but it was what Fritz wanted. When it came down to it, most of the compromises that were made were for what Fritz wanted. She sighed, finally coming to her car.

Getting home, she let herself in the house, dropping her stuff on the couch. Taking off her jacket, she collapsed on the bed, Joel curling up beside her. She lay there, stroking his soft fur. Listening to his rhythmic purring, she drifted off to sleep. Around 7:30 she awoke to the ringing of her phone, and got up to check who it was. Surprised to see it was Flynn, worrying something was wrong with the case, she answered it.

"Lt. Flynn? Anything wrong?" she asked, tiredness in her voice.

"No, Chief, didn't mean to disturb you, I was just phoning to see if you'd ate yet. You didn't look well when you left the squad room today, and I just wanted to see how you were holding up." Flynn asked, more embarrassed now that he was actually talking to the Chief then when he'd decided to phone her.

"No, no, Lt., I'm fine. I just woke up. I really did just collapse when I got home. I need to figure out what to eat. I skipped lunch and I'm starving." Brenda sighed.

"Well, that's why I phoned, Chief, I'm heading out for some dinner myself, and I wondered if you'd like to come out with me, have some company. Just to get out of the house." Flynn couldn't believe he was doing this.

Brenda was on alert then, she really didn't want him prying into her private life, but the thought of a warm meal that wasn't takeout did appeal to her. Even if said dinner companion was Lt. Flynn.

"I don't know, Lt., it's getting awfully late, I'm sure I can find something in my fridge that I won't starve." Brenda hedged.

"Come on, Chief, it's not a big deal. I'm going out anyway, and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You were looking pretty shook up when I left you in the parking lot, and I know it's not like we're close friends, but I do think of you as a friend." Flynn tried to persuade her.

Brenda sighed. She was hungry, yes, but it's not like Flynn and her were close friends. She wondered if he had ulterior motives in trying to get info out of her, to use against her later. Or maybe he was just concerned for her, a total 180 from the days when he was trying to sabotage her. Still, she felt so raw and wounded. She really wasn't up for company, even with a friend, which apparently was how Flynn was now seeing her. Nothing like her marriage breaking up for her to acquire him as a friend. She decided to beg off and stay home, she came to the decision. She wouldn't be good company.

"Lt. Flynn, as much as I appreciate the offer, I think I'll just stay in tonight. I'm not good company, not at all." Brenda said, sounding so sad. And it wasn't an act.

"Are you sure, Chief? I can come and pick you up." Flynn tried, but the disappointment in his voice was evident. He didn't even know why he felt that way.

"I'm sure, Lt." However, she picked up the disappointment in his tone and somehow felt guilty for it. "Listen, Lt., I'll see you in the morning, okay? I just need time to think. Things are not...good here right now. I'll tell you what though, we'll see tomorrow. I'm still adjusting to some ... things, and I really, really just want to forget about them for now." That was as close as Brenda was going to get to revealing anything to anyone.

"Okay, sure Chief, I understand. I'll see you tomorrow. And Chief? We're all here for you, if you need anything."

"I know, Lt., I know. And Lt.? Thanks for looking out for me. I appreciate it. See you in the morning." With that, Brenda hung up. She got up to look for something to eat, but her appetite escaped her again. Not only did she feel awful about Fritz, now she felt she'd let Flynn down too. And she had no idea why she felt that way.

Brenda realized she needed to eat something though, and busied herself, finding something to eat, settling on the leftovers from her anniversary dinner last night. As she was heating it in the microwave, she reflected on the last evening. Things had been going well, she had thought Fritz and her had been doing so well lately. Since he'd been made liaison to the LAPD, they'd had to work together on several occasions, and found themselves frequently at odds with one another, but they'd always worked their way through it. She'd looked forward all day to going out, and had managed to make sure she wasn't delayed, a miracle for her. They'd gone out and celebrated and when they'd arrived home, he'd given her the news of the promotion. She hadn't been thrilled and it showed. And now, she was in this mess.

The microwave beeped, and Brenda took the meal out. Settling in front of the TV, she picked at her supper, not really thrilled with it. She just missed Fritz and needed to hear his voice, so she grabbed her phone to give him a call. Lucky for her, he was still taking her calls, and she soon heard his voice.

"Fritzi, just wanted to see how you are. I miss you, sweetie." Brenda said.

"I miss you too, Brenda." Hearing that made Brenda smile.

"Well, what do you say about just coming home, forgetting about going to Washington? I just really want you here." she cajoled.

Fritz's tone changed immediately. "Well, have you changed your mind about coming to Washington? Cause I really want you there.", he said icily.

"No, no, I haven't. I told you why Fritz!" Brenda pleaded.

"Well, then we really have nothing to talk about right now. Goodbye."

All she heard was dial tone. Shocked, Brenda stared at her phone, mouth open. Why was he being so unreasonable? she wondered. What had changed in the last year that he suddenly thought this job offer was worth giving up everything they had together. She set down her plate on the coffee table and shoved it away. She'd lost her appetite again. Sitting back on the couch, she rubbed her temples, her head starting to hurt.

Why had he hung up on her? Was she really that wrong in wanting to keep her job? Thinking back, she thought of other times that he'd done stuff like that to her. He was good at manipulating her to get what he wanted, same as she to him. When she'd hesitated on moving in together, he'd guilted her into it, moving in lock, stock and barrel. When he'd deemed her little house too small for the two of them and all his stuff, he'd guilted her into selling it, and they'd ended up in this rental. Hell, even getting married he'd manipulated her, giving her a deadline as to when.

As Brenda sat there thinking, she became angrier. Her sadness left her as the anger took over, as she realized his hanging up was another way of his to get her to come to Washington. In fact, the only thing that she'd never caved on and given in to him about was having a child, although he tried and had constantly brought it up. Fed up, Brenda stood up, grabbing her plate and went to the kitchen. She put the food in the garbage and then stalked to her bedroom. She'd had enough fretting and worrying for one day, and she grabbed her pyjamas and went to the bathroom to shower. As she stood there under the stinging stream, the thought popped into her mind that she should have just gone out to dinner with Flynn and saved herself the mistake of feeling lonely and phoning Fritz. The only saving grace the phone call had had was the fact that now, she realized more than ever where she wanted to be, and it wasn't Washington, even with the man that she professed to love.


	4. Chapter 4

Brenda walked into the murder room a totally different woman from the day before. Where she'd been devastated yesterday, today she was angry. She shouldn't be angry at Fritz, but she was. And that spurred her on today, to make things as normal as she could. She met the eyes of her squad, and could see from the look they gave her that word had filtered through to them about the job offer. Questions were in their eyes whether or not they'd still have her as boss, so Brenda decided to put them at ease, getting it out of the way.

"Gentlemen, I know you may have heard some rumours floating around this building, and I just wanted to let you know, I will be staying as your Chief. So, whatever you've heard, forget about it. For the foreseeable future I am not going anywhere. Now, what do we have new on the case?" Brenda moved on fast, wanting to settle into work.

Gabriel stood up and reported on what he and Sanchez had learned yesterday when they'd tried to bring the victim's business partner in. The guy had lawyer-ed up, and they'd waited to talk to the Chief before arresting him. Of course, in the last 24 hours, the prints on the murder weapon had been matched to the partner, so they had enough to bring him in to talk now. Arresting would have to wait, because as his partner, there could be a good excuse as to why his prints were on the weapon. The complicating factor was there was an unidentified set on the scissors too, so that left some doubt as to whether he'd killed his partner or not.

"I think you and I will take a little trip out to visit him later, Sgt. Gabriel. I think we can manage to get him to talk, but at this point, we may have another suspect. Lt. Flynn and I received information from the vic's wife that he was having an affair with his assistant. We need to bring her in and question her, she may have had motive and means to do away with him, considering he was found in his office. We should have brought her in for questioning earlier, we're getting sloppy here, people." Brenda stated.

"Lt. Provenza, did you find anything useful on those security tapes? Anyone going into the office that wasn't suppose to be there?"

"Only two going into the office were his partner and his assistant. We need to get them in here and talking. They were both at the scene of the crime." Provenza sat in his chair, arms back, watching the Chief.

"Well, we'll do that as soon as we can get Mr. Davies over his little aversion to talking to us. Flynn and Provenza, you bring the assistant in, one Christy Hudson, if you can find her. Sanchez, you come with Gabriel and I. Tao, see if you can clean up that video, see if you can get anything else out of it. Somethings missing and I don't know what yet. Give me a few minutes, and we'll head out." With that, Brenda turned toward her office. "And oh, yes, Lt. Flynn, I have to speak with you. Could you join me please?"

Flynn watched her go, wondering why she wanted to speak to him. After he'd felt like he'd embarrassed himself and her last night by asking after her, he'd figured she'd avoid him. Hopefully it only had to do with the case. He got up to follow her, the teams eyes following him. He shrugged it off and kept going.

Flynn entered her office, standing there unsure of himself. This woman always managed to upset his equilibrium. She could upset his balance with just a look, had from the day he met her. Where once he'd been angry, trying to get rid of her, in the end, he found she challenged him, made him want to do his job better. They'd had run ins here and there, but she made him proud to do his job, a feeling he'd lost somewhere in his years on the force. He waited for her to speak.

"Lt. Flynn, I appreciate you phoning last night, and seeing how I was. I don't have many close friends, and I'm sure you've heard many things about Agent Howard and I by now. Please know that most of it isn't true. I will only say that yes, he's going to Washington and yes, I'm staying here." Brenda busied herself with a file, stuffing it in her purse, getting ready to leave.

Flynn watched her do it, taking in her words. "Well, you normally don't come to work like that, Chief. I know it won't make you feel any better, but both my exes left me because I was too involved in my work. So, I understand."

"Well, I don't know what's going to happen, Lt. Things are up in the air, we're at an impasse right now. I'm not going, he's not staying, and I don't know if we'll work things out. Just know that I appreciate your concern. And, thank you." With that, she went to leave the office, opening the door to let him out. She followed him, meeting up with Sanchez and Gabriel.

"Come on, Provenza, let's get this over with, see if we can track this woman down. Do you have a home address yet?" Flynn said, getting down to work, and trying to ignore the questions in his mind about the Chief. This wasn't the time, or the place for it. He just knew that when he'd heard she'd decided to stay here and the husband was leaving, he felt a sense of relief, like he'd been holding his breath since first hearing the rumours.

Provenza got up, shrugging his coat on. He'd acquired an address for the assistant and they set out to bring her in. Flynn was unusually quiet on the way over there, he couldn't stop thinking about the Chief. Although he felt bad for her break up, he was also happy about it. He had never liked the "FBI guy" that much, but the Chief had been head over heels for him. Now, with him gone, he was kind of hopeful, he admitted to himself. He shook his head, trying to shake off the feeling. He shouldn't feel happy about a marriage breaking up, especially the Chiefs. Nope, better not to think along those lines.

Meanwhile, Brenda rode in the back of the car, Gabriel driving. She stared out the window, determined. She wanted these suspects in to question, get this case put away. And when it was done, she was going to sit back with a big glass of Merlot and just relax. Her thoughts again drifted to Flynn. He was right, they did seem to understand where they were each coming from. You work hard to get the bad guy, and when it happened, the satisfaction was a big rush. The pursuit kept her going. Giving this up would be impossible, and she realized that Flynn seemed to be the only one who understood. Maybe that's why he sympathized with her. They were more alike than she'd ever imagined. She really should have went with him to pick up the assistant. Something about his demeanour in the last day seemed to help calm her. The thought occurred to her that she missed him.

The realization shocked her. She missed Flynn? No, that couldn't be it. It had to be Fritzi she was missing. The only reason she was relating to Flynn was because he was being unexpectedly nice to her at this time. The only reason, she told herself. This breakup with Fritz had really done her in, she thought to herself. She definitely wasn't thinking straight. When they pulled up in front of an elaborate and very fancy home, she shook her head to clear it. Enough with thinking like she was, she told herself. She got out of the car to follow her detectives to the door. They rang the bell and waited.

Finally, a middle-aged man opened the door, looking less than pleased to see them. "Officers, I told you yesterday, I have nothing to say to you about the death of my friend. I have no information to help you with. I never seen him on the day of his death."

Brenda looked at him, knowing that they had video that contradicted the fact, seemingly. That was one strike against this man. "Sir, I'm Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson. I'm the head of the Major Crimes Unit, and I would like to say, I think it would be in your best interest to accompany us downtown, and chat about what you know about the vic. Now, I know you say you didn't see him that day, but we have direct evidence to contradict that fact. We know you were in his office the day he was murdered."

The man looked stunned. He shook it off, deciding to bluff them instead. "Look, unless you're going to arrest me for his murder, I'd like you to leave. This is done." He went to shut the door. Gabriel held his hand out, stopping it.

"Fine, sir, you want to play it that way, we will. Detective Sanchez, cuff him." Brenda directed.

"What are you charging me with? You've got nothing!" The man protested.

"Oh, if you like, I can book you on suspicion of murder. We have enough evidence to support that theory. It would have been easier if you'd just talked to us, sir. Save a lot of time and aggravation on both parts." Brenda said, in that sweet, fake voice she reserved for those that really pissed her off.

"When we get there, I want my lawyer. I'm not saying a word to you people." the man ranted.

"Sir, when people protest as much as you do, they have something to hide. So, we'll see if an acquaintance of yours protests as much when she's brought in for questioning. If there is as much stalling from her, as is from you, I'm beginning to think we'll have a conspiracy. And I look so forward to finding out what it is you two are hiding." She watched as the man's face turned white, never thinking that they'd be bringing anyone else in. And Brenda suddenly had one of her ideas, figuring out exactly what had happened to have this man's business partner end up dead. But first she had to talk to the assistant to help prove it. She really hoped that Flynn and Provenza had located her. She wanted to wrap this case up and crash for a day.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N** this is mostly about the case chapter, I just wanted to wrap up the initial case.I promise, for those reading that are here for Brenda/Flynn, next chapter is about them.

"Now, Miss Hudson, we have some questions for you concerning the death of your boss, Mr. Edward Fleming. It's come to our attention that you were having an affair with him. Is that right, Miss Hudson?" Brenda questioned the very nervous assistant sitting across from her.

"What does that have to do with his murder? I don't have to answer that question!" she protested.

"Why hide it, Miss Hudson? Mr. Fleming's wife knew all about it. It's not like it was a secret. Now, I ask again, were you having an affair with Mr. Fleming?" Brenda persisted.

"Fine, yes, I was having an affair with him. What of it?" she said petulantly.

"Well, based on the evidence we have, you were in his office during the time he was murdered. And the prints we got off your water bottle match a set of prints found on the scissors that were used to murder Mr. Fleming. Care to tell us how they may have gotten on there?"

"Well, duh, lady, I'm his _assistant_. I handle dozens of things in his office." she said snidely.

"Care to tell us how the prints overlap those of Mr. Fleming's business partner, which were also found on the murder weapon? Because either one or both of you murdered Mr. Fleming. The scissors weren't wiped down. Not very smart of either of you. What we're having trouble figuring out is why you did this. Did you have a fight, and it got out of hand? And did you not realize there was security footage of the two of you going in and out of that office? This was all in all, a very sloppy murder. We should have arrested you the first day, after we collected his body!" Brenda declared.

Christy's eyes darted around the room, trying to think of an excuse for some of the evidence. "Look, I didn't kill Eddie. When I walked in his office, he was laying on the floor. I tried pulling the scissors out, but I could tell he was dead. That's why my prints were on the scissors."

"So, why did you not phone the police if you were so innocent?"

"Because, I knew who had killed him. It was his partner. They've been fighting all the time lately. Mr. Davies wanted to sell the business, they got a huge offer a couple of months ago. The offer was set to expire shortly and Davies wanted out, but Eddie loved the business and didn't want to let it go. But as 50-50 partners, neither could sell without the consent of the other. It was an all or nothing deal that this buyer wanted, he didn't want a 50-50 split. With Eddie gone, Davies would have control of the whole company. "

"Wouldn't Eddie's share have gone to his wife?"

"No, the company was set up that in the event of the death of one partner, it would revert wholly to the partner."

"Well, wouldn't murder be a little obvious way for him to get control? I mean, it's not like this was a carefully thought out murder. Prints, video, no attempt to do away with the body." Brenda probed.

"Look, I just found the body. I went and told Davies and he came back in with me. It was too late, but he didn't want to phone the police, he just wanted to get out of the building. I didn't hear anything, I have no idea what happened. I just figured if Davies wanted to get away, he did it."

"That's funny that you didn't remember the security footage. You had to know you were on there."

"Actually, no. We've been having trouble with the cameras lately, and we never knew when it was working or not. Didn't the security guard tell you that?"

Brenda smiled, opening the file in front of her. "Actually, Miss Hudson, security just installed those cameras in front of Mr. Flemings door last weekend. Apparently Mr. Fleming was worried about his safety and had a camera installed there. And security told me that it was a hidden camera, and he gave strict orders that no one except for them was to know about it. So, that tells me that you didn't know you were being filmed."

Caught in a lie, Christy looked downward. She had no answer.

Brenda set in on her. "Now, here's what I think happened. Your mother is Donna Hudson, correct?"

"Yes, but what does my mother have to do with this?" she was nervous, wondering where this was going.

"Well, it's more like who your father is, and what he has to do with this. Looking into your records, your mother filed a paternity suit against one Thomas Davies immediately after you were born, yet he isn't listed on the birth certificate. So, is it true that Mr. Davies is your father?"

Christy hesitated, then answered with a soft "yes".

"And did he get you the job at his company, help you get started?"

"Yes." she was quiet again.

"And did Mr. Fleming know that you were his partners' daughter?"

"I didn't think so, but the last time we were together, we got into a fight. I told him I loved him and he laughed. He told me he only started up with me because of who my father was and wanted to drive him nuts. That he would never love me."

"And how did that make you feel?"

"I was devastated and I went and told my father. He didn't say anything about it, and I just worked as normal. But I was going to quit, it's the reason I went back to the office that day." The girl seemed to have drifted into a trance, telling the tale. "I went into the office, and my father and Mr. Fleming were arguing. And then I started arguing with them too. Fleming called me an easy lay, and my father hit him. They fought and he had my father pinned down. I tried getting him off my father, but I couldn't. I grabbed the scissors and hit him in the shoulder. He grabbed them out and turned on me. My father grabbed the scissors from Fleming and they fought again. And when my dad got up, Fleming had the scissors in his chest. It was self-defense, I swear. We didn't mean to kill him, we didn't!"

Brenda looked at the young woman, knowing she'd gotten the truth. She felt some sympathy for the girl, now they had to figure out how serious a charge they would lay against them.

"Detective Sanchez, could you please stay with her, I need to go interview Mr. Davies now. If he corroborates your story, we'll base the charges on that." Brenda got up to leave, heading for the next interview. This wasn't the most twisted story she'd ever heard, but it was sad. That girl had loved a man who'd used her. Nothing new in that, but still.

Sitting down with Mr. Davies, she set right in on him. "Mr. Davies, we have your daughter in the next room. And she's told us quite the tale, I can tell you that right now."

"I don't have a daughter, Ms. Johnson. Whoever told you that is a liar."

"Well, Mr. Davies, you do have a daughter, according to these paternity test results and the fact you've paid child support to a Ms. Donna Hudson for 18 years. Now the funny thing is, this murder that occurred, apparently it was over your daughter. And at least some of it was self-defense. Care to back that up?" Brenda questioned.

Caught in a lie, Davies looked anywhere but at Brenda. It was all coming out, no matter that he tried to hide it. "That bastard found out she was my daughter and set out to use her against me. He knew it drove me crazy that he was carrying on with her. I couldn't stop him. When she told me what happened last weekend, I went to talk to him about it, at least get him to apologize to her. He laughed at me, called her an "easy lay". We fought, he knocked me to the ground, he was choking me." He removed his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, showing the angry bruises that were around his neck. "The next thing I knew, Christy had stabbed him, trying to get him off of me. He turned on her, and I got up. We fought again, and when it was all over, he had the scissors in his chest. I didn't mean to kill him."

The blustering man seemed small then, a father who'd been protecting his daughter. Brenda sighed. Almost the exact same story. Maybe the D.A. Would go easy on them. Maybe manslaughter. It sounded like a situation that got out of control, it hadn't been planned.

Brenda got up, leaving Sgt.. Gabriel to deal with the rest. She went back to Sanchez and told him to take Miss Hudson down to booking. She felt exhausted, but relieved to have a double confession. At last the case was closed. She made her way back to her office, glad to have closed it, but also worried. Now that she didn't have to concentrate on the case, she'd be left to her own devices and that scared her. Work had kept her occupied, now what would she do not to think about Fritz? She threw her purse down, frustrated. She threw herself into writing up a report on the case, to give to the D.A. When she looked up next, the office outside was in semi-darkness. She vaguely recalled having said goodbye to her team, but she had no idea how long she'd been in her office. Sighing, she closed the file and got up to get ready to go home to an empty house.


	6. Chapter 6

The next weeks passed in a blur for Brenda. Fritz had collected what things he could to travel to Washington with, and they had a polite but strained goodbye. Both thought the other was in the wrong, and both were too stubborn to do anything about it. Brenda threw herself even more so into her work, with Fritz no longer there to keep her from overdoing it. What was worse were the rumours flowing through the building, even she had managed to hear them, and they made her cringe. The cold fish/bitch one was the one that hurt her the most. She had never liked being referred to as a bitch, and to hear people saying that Fritz had left because she was one dug under her skin.

Her team was her anchor, the one thing that kept her from drifting off. Between the five of them, they'd helped fight off the rumours, protecting their boss. And for the most part, the talk quit. For that, Brenda was grateful. She'd taken to bringing in coffee and some kind of treat for them every morning and felt better about it. It showed them that she did care about them, no matter how hard she put on her tough exterior. Even Pope wasn't quite as crusty with her he was sometimes, but Brenda avoided him somewhat. She had no idea why, but thought the fact that she was technically single now might make him think things between them could start up again, and she did not want that. He was just another man who had hurt her, and she'd had quite enough of them.

Instead, she gravitated to her team, relying on them. Gabriel was her sounding board, Flynn was her go-to guy, the one who for lack of a better word, protected her honour from those who had decided to try and come on to her now that she was by herself. Provenza was like her dad or a beloved uncle, going out of his way to be less grumpy and to offer her words of encouragement when he thought she was down. Sanchez was surprisingly funny, trying to keep her spirits up, and Tao was her provider of treats to help her make it through the day. She didn't know what she'd do without them.

Fritz and her talked on the phone, a lot in the beginning. They decided to try visiting one another, weaning Brenda from being at the beck and call of her job constantly. The first time she flew to Washington, she remembered everything she'd hated about the place, and never really gave it a chance. She'd clutched her phone, praying for someone from her team to call, and it proved once again where her heart did lie. She never told that to Fritz though, and they'd made it through the weekend uneventfully. The next time it was her turn to fly out though, she made up an excuse and stayed in L.A. After that, things started to go downhill even faster for the two of them.

Lt. Flynn was working late the one night, the only one who went home later than him anymore was the Chief. As hunger gripped him, he decided to see if the Chief wanted to go out for a bite to eat. Maybe this time she'd actually go with him. Knocking on her door, he went in to ask.

"Hey Chief, I'm about to head out for the night. I'm going to stop off for dinner first, and wondered if you wanted to grab a bite to eat with me."

Brenda considered the man, touched by his asking her. Her team was really the best, she thought to herself. And considering she'd turned him down a few weeks ago when he'd asked, she finally felt ready to say yes. The rawness she'd felt in the early days had eased, and she looked forward to the company of someone besides her cat. Flipping the folder she'd been reading shut, she stood up. "Actually, I'm starving, Lt., I'd be delighted to accompany you." She grabbed her huge purse and stuffed the folder into it. She'd read it before bedtime. She shrugged on her jacket, and followed the Lt out of her office, shutting the lights off as she went. They went down the elevator in amiable silence, and Brenda sighed when they reached the lobby. She'd forgotten to change into her running shoes for the three block walk to her car.

"Wait up a minute, Lt., I have to change my shoes." She grabbed them out of her purse and slipped off her high heels. Without them, she was so tiny standing next to him. She gripped his arm, using him for balance as she put on the runners.

"So, where are we going? Do we drive there? Or can we walk from here?" she asked him.

"We drive. Just follow me and I'll get you there." Flynn smiled at her. She hadn't let go of his arm that she'd been using for balance, and he liked that, liked her holding on to him. They started walking to where they had parked.

"Probably for the best. I still don't care for driving in this city, and I've been here how long now? 6 years?" Brenda tried to focus,but couldn't remember.

"7 actually Chief. It's been a great seven years though. You've been a terrific Chief. For what it's worth, I know you gave up a lot when you decided to stay here. Just so you know, the whole team appreciates it." he spoke softly.

"Why thank you, Lt.! Considering how I screwed things up so badly in my personal life, I'll still take that as a compliment. Work is the one area I can't seem to screw up anymore." she smiled sadly.

They walked the three blocks to their cars, making little small talk along the way. She looked up at him occasionally, catching him looking at her. Something in his eyes almost made her blush, he was looking at her in a way she hadn't noticed before. Something there sparked an interest in her that she fought. She smiled at him, glad she'd decided to come with him. When they reached her car, he held the door open for her and asked her to drive to where he was parked. She could follow him once he'd retrieved his car.

"For what it's worth, Chief, it's nice to see you smile. It's been awhile since we seen that." Flynn commented.

"There hasn't been much to smile about Lt., but I do thank you all for looking out for me lately. Makes me feel a little less lonely sometimes." She smiled tentatively, again.

He directed her to his car. Brenda actually was surprised by the fact that she didn't want him to get out and leave her right away. She shook it off, however, knowing that they'd be talking again soon. He got out of her car and got into his. He'd obviously gotten a much better one than the one that had broken down on Provenza and him years ago. It was a nice silver vehicle, and she was impressed.

Arriving at the restaurant after about ten minutes, she pulled into a spot beside him. The place looked homey, a family establishment, and Brenda suddenly was starving. Even in the parking lot, the place smelled fantastic.

"Now, listen Chief. This is my treat. Order anything you'd like on the menu, I'm paying." Flynn told her.

"I can't let you do that, Lt! It's only right I pay my fair share." Brenda protested.

"Nonsense, I'm paying." He smiled at her and she caved. When he smiled, it disarmed her, and she'd agree to almost anything. Almost.

They entered the place, where Andy was greeted as if he was a son. He was obviously well-known here. He introduced the owners to his boss, who greeted her like she was family too. Brenda was almost overwhelmed.

Once they were seated and menus placed in front of them, Brenda looked around. The place was tastefully decorated, but in a family friendly way. Very comforting. She wondered why she'd never heard of this place before. She asked Flynn how he'd found it.

"It's not far from my place, and I'm not much for fast food, Chief. I like a good meal, but not anything greasy. I try to avoid that anymore. I started coming here about five years ago, and they've always treated me well. The meals are great, and so are the owners."

Brenda glanced at the menu, noticing Flynn didn't have one. He must have a favourite meal and didn't need to look, she thought. "So what's good here, Lt.? Any preferences?" she asked him.

"Can't go wrong with the chicken breast, ma'am. The garlic sauce is delicious." he commented.

"Is that what you're having?" she asked curiously.

"No, I'm getting the pasta. But I've been told the chicken is delicious." he smiled.

"Well, I'll give it a try then. Seems like a good choice." She closed the menu, and the waitress appeared shortly to take her order. Brenda was surprised at the waitress flirting with Flynn, she must have been half his age. When she left, she took the opportunity to tease her lieutenant.

"She's got a crush on you, Lt. Your charms have smitten her." Brenda smiled.

Flynn looked at her a little uncomfortably. The woman missed nothing, he thought. "Um, yeah, she does, I guess. But she's the owners daughter, and there is no way I'd ever ask her out. If things ended badly, I could never eat here again. And I'm not prepared to give that up. Besides, she's half my age. That's Provenza's territory, not mine." Andy was almost blushing. Brenda caught that, and smiled.

"Well, I guess I'm an expert at things I can't give up. Cost me my marriage, apparently." Brenda grimaced as she thought that.

"Chief, if you don't mind me saying, you shouldn't have to give up the things you love for any one person. And if that person loves you, they'd understand that."

Brenda looked at Flynn, worry creasing her face. What he said was true, but also true was the fact that she hadn't been able to give up what she loved to do for the person she thought she loved more than anything. And that was something she thought she should be able to do.

"He always has been trying to change you, take the things that make you you away. And in my books, that isn't right."

"Lt., I appreciate your opinion, but I really don't want to talk about this-" Andy cut her off.

"Chief, I know, but God's honest truth, the way he treated you sometimes was not right, not right at all. He plays you very well, to get you to do what he wants. And don't tell me he doesn't. We've all seen it." Flynn finished.

Brenda was taken aback by this. Had that been what it appeared to everyone? She looked down. In a soft voice, she pleaded "Please, Lt., can we just drop it for now? I'm not ready to talk about this. Besides, I think I was just as good at using him at times, for my job. And besides, what if I reconcile with him? Please, let's just talk about something else."

Flynn looked at her and his heart sank. After all she's been through, she'd consider getting back together with him? After the emotional roller coaster she'd been on, she'd give everything up to go to Washington?

"Fine, Chief, I'll drop it for now. But know that we're all here for you, anytime you need to talk. We've been trying to look out for you, and the rest want to know if you'd like to go out once a week, make it a team night. We'd love for you to come with us." Flynn changed the subject just like that.

Brenda smiled again. She really did work with a great bunch of guys. "I think I'd like that very much, Lt. Flynn. Tell them I'd love to."

"They'll be thrilled. Although I'm not sure Tao's wife will be, to tell you the truth." Flynn laughed.

"Well, she could always meet us there. The more the merrier." Brenda laughed.

"I'll tell him, but don't expect her to take you up on the offer."

"Why ever not?"

"She's a sweet woman, but she can only take so much of Provenza. And if she catches her husband wearing that ridiculous hat, she might beat us all for getting her husband to do that." Flynn chuckled.

With that, conversation stopped for awhile, as their meals arrived. As promised, the chicken was delicious, and Brenda was glad she had chosen it. Flynn had great taste. In the end, Brenda snuck in dessert for the two of them to eat, paying for his, as he wouldn't allow her to pay for the meal itself. Dessert was the least she could do. Satisfied, they got up to leave, somewhat reluctant for the evening to end. She'd relaxed after the initial awkwardness and quite enjoyed herself. Walking out to their cars, Flynn surprised her again.

"Chief, would you like to do this weekly, you and me? Dinner here? I've had a lot of fun tonight." Flynn asked, but expected to be turned down.

Brenda considered her options. She could be home, petting her cat, feeling all alone in the world. She could work late, burying herself in work. Or she could relax once a week, with a friend and a good meal, and good conversation. She decided on the latter.

"Actually, Lt., I think I'd like that. I've had a great evening. And the food was terrific." she gave him one of her smiles again.

"Then it's a date, Chief. I look forward to it." Flynn smiled at her. Suddenly though, he blushed again, "I don't mean it's a date-date, Chief, I just meant-" he stuttered before she cut him off, laughing.

"I know what you meant, Lt. Flynn, don't worry. I'm more than happy to spend time with a friend. It's all very sweet of you to look out for me." She smiled at him, putting him at ease once again.

With that she got in her car, and drove off. Looking in her rear view mirror, she was surprised to see Andy Flynn still standing there, staring after her. And for some reason, that fact made her feel very happy.


	7. Chapter 7

They continued their weekly dinners, and Brenda actually looked forward to them. She'd always thought of Flynn as someone who could be relied upon for work, but hadn't gotten to know him much outside of work. Where he could come off as brash and arrogant sometimes, on a one to one basis he was really quite charming and amusing. She wondered why she'd never really noticed that before. He made her smile with his quips and one-liners, where at work she'd sometimes been annoyed by them.

The weekly get togethers with the team were helpful too. Instead of being just the boss, she was their friend. The feeling of family overwhelmed Brenda. She wished she'd taken the time to get to know them like this long ago. They'd always been a tight group, but now, it had grown into something more.

Often she found herself left with Flynn at the end of the evening, as the others drifted off to do other things on their Friday nights. She didn't find it to be a bad thing, they ended up talking even more. He even got her to play pool while they were at the bar, and he found her to be an excellent player, not something he expected. What he also didn't expect to feel was the reluctance at the end of the evening to just let her go home alone. It was slowly dawning on him that he wanted to be more than just her friend, but he couldn't take that chance. Not now, not with Fritz still in the picture. He knew she talked to him often, could see the strain on her when they did chat. She was confused as to what to do, even after many months of them being apart. Her love for him was still not strong enough to get her to give up her job and move across the country for him.

Given that, it shouldn't have come as a surprise when a process server turned up at Major Crimes and presented her with divorce papers. Brenda had simply took them, stuffed them in her big purse and locked herself in her office, pulling the blinds shut with her team looking after her, saddened for her. She'd held up admirably well since the separation, but this, this changed everything. The end of her marriage was very real now.

Andy kept an eye on her office, hoping that she'd come out soon. He was used to her quirky ways, and this silence was not like her. Deciding that he needed to do something, anything, he approached Provenza. They had plans to go to a baseball game the next day, Saturday. It had been awhile since they'd gone to a game and both looked forward to it. What Andy wanted was to see if they could get one more ticket, that they'd take the Chief with them to the game tomorrow.

"And what exactly would she do at a baseball game, Flynn? Don't you remember her yelling at us for going that one time?"

"I think she was yelling at us because we left the scene of a crime and took over a crime scene. I don't think it was the baseball game itself, genius." Flynn said to him.

"Still, baseball? The Chief?" Provenza was befuddled. Why would Flynn want her to come with them?

"Come on, Provenza! I'll pay for the ticket, just see if you can get one, so she can come with us." Flynn didn't usually plead, but he felt like he had to do this.

Seeing that his friend really wanted the Chief to come with them, Provenza complied. Fifteen minutes later, he walked up to Flynn's desk and told him mission accomplished. He was going to head over and get the ticket, and that Flynn owed him big time. Flynn just smiled, nodding his head in agreement. Now all he had to do was convince the Chief to come to the game with them. He got up and walked towards the office, knocking before letting himself in. Brenda looked up at him, she hadn't been crying, but she was obviously stressed.

"What can I do for you, Lt.?" she asked him, hoping there wasn't a case right yet. She wasn't focused, she felt scattered.

"Well, Chief, Provenza and I wondered if you'd like to come to a Dodgers game with us. We have tickets to the Dodgers game." He smiled at her, wondering if she remembered screeching at them about Skybox tickets so long ago.

It brought a smile to her face. It was around then that the team had started to really come together, after the roughness of the early days of her tenure here. They'd covered for one another, got through it. Provenza and Flynn had anted up on everything they owed the team, and Brenda still enjoyed the Merlot that they had repaid her with.

"When's the game?" she asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon. Think you can make it?" Flynn asked, his face like a little boy, waiting with anticipation.

"Well, it doesn't look like I'm doing anything, and barring us getting called in on a case, I'd love to go." Brenda agreed.

"That's great, Chief. I'll pick you up around 2:30, okay? And I promise you, we'll get to the game. This car is much better than that piece of crap I used to drive. We'll have to swing by and pick up Provenza, too. I'm his ride also."

"That's fine, Lt. It's a date then. Now, is there anything else?" Not wanting to be rude, but she'd been trying to get a hold of Fritz and find out why he'd filed for the divorce and not at least given her a heads up. She thought she'd at least deserved that much, not just some process server showing up at her work place.

"No, ma'am. Will we see you tonight, going out with the group?" Flynn asked. He enjoyed their team outings, even if he didn't drink. It made him feel like he'd become accepted by the team, considering how much he had sabotaged it in the beginning. He really felt as if they had each others back.

"I'm not sure, Lt. If I do, I won't be staying late. I have a few things I have to do, and I've just been putting them off." Brenda looked down.

Flynn was disappointed, but didn't want to press her further. Her going to the game the next day was already enough. "Okay, Chief. Talk to you later."

He left her office, happy that she'd agreed to the baseball game. He didn't know why he'd wanted her to go with them, just thought that she might like to do something different. And he'd get to spend more time with her. It was all he wanted to do lately, be around her. He didn't want her to know that, though. At least he'd have Provenza along with them. The two of them should be able to keep her entertained for awhile. Sitting at his desk, he smiled, remembering how angry she'd been so long ago, over the Skybox tickets and their idiotic hats. His smile grew larger as an idea formulated in his mind. He had to go shopping before he picked the Chief up the next day, that was for sure.

The rest of the day flew by quite quickly. Provenza had arrived back, giving Flynn the ticket and demanding payment immediately. Andy had coughed up the cash, and things were relatively normal for the Major Crimes unit. End of day came, and they checked to see if the Chief wanted to go out with them for their weekly get together, but for the first time, Brenda begged off. She hadn't been able to get a hold of Fritz, and she was in a crappy mood because of it. She just wanted to go home. The team understood, and they gathered their stuff together to proceed with out her. Andy excused himself for a minute, to go in and say goodbye to her, make sure she wouldn't change her mind. He tried, but she held firm, telling him that she'd see him tomorrow.

Andy left, following after the others, disappointed more than he let on. Without her along, a part of them was missing. Still, he'd see her tomorrow, and for that, he was glad.

Brenda headed home shortly after the rest of her team left. She had wanted to go with them, but really hadn't been up to it. What she really wanted to do was talk to Fritz. She was angry that he hadn't even phoned, to tell her that he'd decided to file, that she'd been blindsided in front of her team, of all things, and knew they felt sorry for her again. She'd spent the last few months being strong, but now, she just wanted it to be over with. The indecision had taken its toll on her, and she was at least glad someone had made the first move to end it. She needed to get on with her life, and get out of the limbo she felt she was in. Going to the game tomorrow would be a good thing, she told herself. Getting out with friends, and forget about sulking. That's what this evening was for.

Getting home, she left her stuff on the couch, leaving a trail to her bath. She drew a hot bath, went back for a glass of Merlot and carried it into the bathroom. Settling into the bath, she took a sip, hoping to let all the stress go for a little while. Grabbing her phone, she dialled Fritzs' number again. Getting his voicemail again, she left an angry message for him.

"Look, Fritz, I think I deserved better than a process server showing up to tell me that you wanted a divorce now. You could have at least told me. Damn it, you could have told me you decided yourself. I've never been more angry with you than I am right now. And why can't you answer your phone? I've been trying to reach you all day!" The machine clicked off, leaving Brenda with just dial tone. She put her phone down and had another sip of her Merlot. God, she just wished that this whole thing was over, totally, the divorce final, that she could just move on. Whatever feelings she had left for him were dissipating rapidly, as annoyance set in.

Finally, she just wanted to sleep, looking forward to tomorrow. Anything to forget what had happened today. The fact that she'd be spending it with Andy made it worthwhile. As she dressed for bed, she began to wonder why spending time with him meant so much to her the last few months. She almost laughed at the thought that they were friends, considering they'd despised each other when she arrived here. Now, there was no one else she'd rather be around, they'd come along way over the years. Smiling, she fell asleep thinking of Flynn, strangely comforted by the fact she was going to be with him the next day.


	8. Chapter 8

Saturday arrived, and Andy headed out to do some shopping before the game. He located what he needed relatively quickly, before heading over to pick up the Chief. He pulled into her driveway, parked and went to the door, a plastic shopping bag in his hand. Knocking, he waited for her to answer. It didn't take long before Brenda opened her door, smiling as she let Andy in. Andy gave her the once over, appreciating what he was looking at. She wore jeans that fit her snugly, and a tank top with a shirt thrown over it. The woman could look gorgeous in almost anything, he thought. She had her hair up in ponytail, and she grabbed a jacket, ready to leave.

"Wait a second, Chief. I got something for you. If you're going to a Dodgers game, you have to have one of these." He held up the bag he had in his hand.

Brenda looked at the bag with curiosity, wondering what it contained. She eyed Andy suspiciously, and asked, "There's a dress code for a baseball game? I don't think so, Lt."

"Well, if you're with Provenza and I, there is." Smiling, he reached into the bag, pulling out a Dodgers baseball cap. "You have to wear the idiotic hat with the both of us."

Taking the tag off the cap, he placed it on her head. "It's very becoming on you, Chief. You should have been wearing these years ago."

Brenda smiled, remembering how upset she was by those very hats. She took the joke good-naturedly, and did a models twirl, asking him how she looked.

"Terrific, Chief. A baseball cap has never looked better on a woman."

"Well, we should go then. We wouldn't want to keep Provenza waiting, would we?" Brenda laughed. She took Andy's arm and they walked out the door. She locked up, and he then held his car door open for her, letting her slide into the passenger seat. Provenza could sit in the back today, Andy thought to himself. He'd rather have the Chief and her jean-clad legs beside him, he thought happily.

They pulled up to Provenza's, he was pacing in the driveway once again. He was always nervous on game day, expecting the worse to happen and they'd not get there. He was serious about his baseball and hated anything messing up before he was in his seat, with his beer and snacks. He got in the back of the car, not arguing. He just wanted to get there already. He accused Flynn of driving like an old lady, to put his foot down and get them to the game. Flynn and Brenda just looked and smiled at each other, amused, used to Provenza's complaining. Provenza then noticed the Chief's new hat, asking about it.

"I thought you said those hats were idiotic. I thought I was taking a big chance even wearing mine today. What made you join our ranks?" he asked out of curiosity, believing he already knew the answer.

"Why, Lt. Flynn gave it too me. He said that if I go to the game, I had to wear the idiotic hat with the rest of you. Very sweet of him, don't you think?" Brenda smiled.

Andy hunched down a little lower in his seat, feeling Provenza's gaze on him. It had seemed like a good idea at the time to get it for her. Now, it was fodder for Provenza to use against him.

"Yes, ma'am, very sweet. And you look very fetching in it." Provenza could suck up too.

"Why thank you. Y'all are very sweet to be keeping me entertained today. I know you don't really want to spend time with the Chief on your day off." Brenda looked out the window, not knowing what else to say.

"It's no problem, Chief, it's great to have you along. Hope you have some fun today." Flynn answered. Conversation died down as the traffic picked up when they neared the stadium. They got to the stadium and were seated, after Provenza had gotten his supplies. As they worked their way through some popcorn, Brenda had to go to the washroom and got up to excuse herself.

"Lt. Flynn, would you watch my purse for me? Please?" she asked him in a voice he couldn't refuse.

"Sure, Chief, it will be right here when you get back." He could only stare at her behind as she made her way through the row. It was a terrific sight, at least for him. The next thing he knew, he was being swatted with Provenza's Dodgers' cap.

"What do you think you're doing? You're buying her baseball tickets, a baseball cap and now you're watching her purse? You aren't even dating her! The Andy Flynn I know does not spend money on women, that's why he doesn't have one! This is the Chief we're talking about here! What's the matter with you?" Provenza hit him again.

"Nothing's the matter with me! I'm just being a good friend with her. She's really needed one the last few months." Flynn answered, embarrassed.

"Listen to me, and listen to me good Flynn. Nothing good can come out of this. You do not want to be the rebound guy. You're going down a road that you'll be the one who ends up getting hurt. And if you two manage to get together and then break up? It will be like Daniels and Gabriel all over again. I'm too old to break in a new partner, because mark my words, if you break up, it will be you transferring, not her. We both know that." Provenza eyed the younger man, hoping to make him see the light. This was not a good situation, not at all. He didn't want to see either one of them get hurt, and the Chief had been through a lot with her breakup with her husband.

"Look, no one is going to get hurt, because nothing is going on. You're reading this all wrong, Provenza. Besides, she'd never go for me anyway. As you all say, she just tolerates me most days. Remember when she used to hate my guts?" Flynn tried to deflect his friends words, hoping that he would lay off on the lecture.

"Yeah, I remember. But everyone has noticed lately she doesn't hate you. In fact, you two have become friends. What's up with that anyway?"

"She just needed someone to talk to, I'm a good listener, that's all."

Provenza snorted and grabbed some popcorn out. "You two need to get away from one another for awhile. What do you say about me setting us up with a couple of ladies? We haven't done that in a while, a double date."

"Don't you remember how that turned out last time, with those flight attendants? It took us two days to find your car." Flynn didn't want to go out with anyone else. He only wanted to be around the Chief.

"Listen, I'll set something up. You need some space away from her. I'm telling you, one of you is going to get hurt. Stop this before it even starts."

Flynn refused to talk anymore, staring down onto the ball diamond. Would he really be the one to get hurt if things went south between the Chief and him? What if it did work out? Wasn't it at least better to try then be miserable and never know what could have happened between them? He had no idea how long he sat there thinking, just that the Chief slid back in front of him, taking her seat.

"Thanks, Lt., I appreciate you watching my purse. I brought you some salted nuts, I remember you liked them. And Provenza, here's some chocolate for you." Brenda gave them the treats.

"Thanks, Chief, much appreciated." Provenza grabbed the chocolate bar, glad that the Chief wasn't on one of her ban sugar kicks.

The game started soon afterwards, and Brenda really threw herself into it. She stood up and cheered when a homerun occurred, throwing her arms around Flynn when the Dodgers won the game. She was all cheered out. The entire time passed so quickly, she could hardly believe it was over. She didn't want to end her day out yet, and offered to buy dinner for her two Lieutenants, to sort of make up for skipping out on the weekly get together the night before. Brenda didn't think she'd laughed so much in a long time, outside the office she actually found them funny. That thought boggled her. There was so much she hadn't known about them over the years, and now, she regretted not taking the time to get to know them on a personal basis before this.

Finally though, they headed home. Flynn and Brenda dropped Provenza off first, Brenda thanking him for putting up with her on his day off. He blushed and said he didn't mind, it was like spending time with a daughter. He gave her a hug, saying he'd see them at work on Monday, barring being called in.

Brenda settled back in her seat, staring out the window into the darkness. She felt completely at ease with Andy, she found. Thinking of him as Andy was strange too. Years of calling him Flynn or Lieutenant was hard to shake off. She glanced over at him, watching him in the dim light of the interior. When had he become so attractive, she wondered to herself. When he relaxed like he was now, he incredibly handsome. Embarrassed, she quickly looked out the window again. Where did that thought come from, she asked herself. And when did she begin thinking like this? Too soon they pulled up to her apartment. She really didn't want to go in and leave his company.

"Thanks for everything today, Andy. The ticket, the cap. It was a great day." she thanked him, taking off her seat belt. She made no move to leave the car though.

"Anytime, Chief, anytime. Believe it or not, I really enjoy spending time with you." Flynn felt stupid saying that, but he did. He just wanted to be with her, doing anything. The air was thick in the car, neither really knowing what to do.

"I guess I better go, let you go home." Brenda said it, but didn't really mean it.

"Well, if you gotta..." Andy trailed off. He couldn't resist anymore, he brought one hand up, tracing the outline of her chin with his thumb. Hoping he didn't scare her off or get a slap to the face, he reached in, kissing her gently on the lips. It was like an electric shock went through them both. She brought her arms up, pulling him in closer, the kiss deepening between the two of them. Things had been happening between them for a long while, and now, they finally gave in to whatever it was they'd been feeling. Brenda clambered on to his lap, squeezing between the wheel and Andy, wanting to face him. Making out in a car made her feel like a teenager, she almost laughed. The kisses deepened and Brenda began to feel an ache overcome her. She wanted him. She wanted Andy Flynn.

Andy, for his part, was overwhelmed. All these years of hanging back, watching her with the FBI guy(for he refused to say his name right now), and here he was, with her in his lap, making out with him. He almost felt like he'd died and gone to heaven. There had been no slap, no protests, just a woman responding to him like he'd never thought she would. He let his hands wander, grabbing her rear and pulling her in closer to him. Things were beginning to respond in him, and Brenda could feel it. She pulled back and smiled at him, before resuming kissing him. His hands wandered up to her shirt, and he tugged it up, delighting in her warm skin.

Just when both thought they knew where the evening was going to end up, it came to an abrupt end. Brenda's phone rang. She ignored it initially, then recognized the ring tone. After trying to get a hold of him for a day and a half, Fritz was finally phoning her back. Groaning, she broke off the kiss, remaining where she was seated on Flynn's lap. She dug into her purse and pulled out her phone, answering it.

"Where the hell have you been, Fritz? I've been trying to reach you since I got your lovely surprise yesterday." Her tone indicated she was not pleased with her soon to be ex-husband, and it made Andy smile. He'd been on the receiving end of that tone plenty of times.

"Look, Brenda, I got your message and you're right, I handled it wrong. In fact, I'm in L.A., and I'm heading to your place right now."

"What!" Brenda screeched into the phone. She scrambled off Andy's lap, into the passenger seat. If Fritz showed up at her place and found her with Flynn, she didn't think he'd take it well, and she couldn't deal with that. She was angry that her evening with Flynn was ending on this note, she really wanted to continue what they'd started. She looked at Andy, not knowing how to tell him.

"I rented a car and I need to talk to you about why I filed for divorce. I'll be there in five minutes. See you then."

With that, Fritz hung up, leaving Brenda very pissed off. She looked at Andy, feeling awful. "I'm sorry, Andy, I truly am. Fritz is here, in L.A. And he's coming here now, to talk about the divorce papers."

Andy looked at her, almost not believing she was serious. Seeing the regret in her eyes, he realized she was telling the truth. He groaned. So close, and now this. Still, it wasn't exactly her fault. Who knew that Howard would show up here, the night things were about to move forward with Brenda and him. He pulled her to him, hugging her. "It's okay. Give me a call when he leaves, I'll come back."

"Sure, Andy, sure. I'm sooo sorry. I really am." She reached up, kissing him again. Her body wanted more than that, but she refrained. She went to get out of the car, not happy at all. She grabbed her purse and got out. Reaching back in, she kissed him goodbye, seeing the disappointment in his eyes. This time she cupped his face, running her finger down his cheek. She let go, shutting the door. Watching him back out the drive, she resisted the urge to run after it, to blow off Fritz and just go be with Flynn. Instead, she remained rooted where she was, til he waved goodbye and was gone. Turning, she went to the house, to await the arrival of her husband.


	9. Chapter 9

Brenda unlocked her door and walked into her living room. She left her purse and cap on the couch and headed for the washroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, taking in her flushed face and smeared lipstick. Grabbing a washcloth, she cleaned herself up and reapplied her makeup. Her mind raced, thinking about why Fritz had decided to turn up in L.A. Exactly what was he here to tell her? Why in person? He'd decided to end the marriage without at least talking anymore, so why? She shook her head, confused.

Her thoughts turned to what had happened with Flynn. What exactly was she thinking there? One minute they were saying goodbye, the next she was all over him. He wasn't exactly resisting, he'd been the one who initiated the kiss. Still, she'd very much enjoyed it, and if her phone hadn't rang it wouldn't have ended there, she knew that with certainty. She still ached for him and was confused that she did. When did he become more to her than just a good friend? Was it simply a reaction to the fact that Fritz had sent the divorce papers finally, to end their marriage?

Brenda heard Fritz walk into the living room, calling out for her. She shut off her bathroom light and walked out to meet him. It had been almost two months since they'd last seen each other. Although they talked regularly, Brenda just didn't have the heart to go to Washington anymore. She was miserable there. And he'd only been back to Los Angeles a couple of times too. No wonder she'd been drawn to Flynn, she seen him more often than the man she was married to.

"Fritz." She said it in a tone that didn't indicate warmth. No "Fritzy", no smile. Brenda just gave him that glare she was good at. She'd only wanted to talk to him, not see him. Seeing him brought an anger bubbling up in her. It's not that she didn't know their marriage was not working now, but to just send the papers, not even bother to talk to her? It hurt her more than he'd know.

Fritz looked at his wife and knew he was walking on thin ice. But she'd made her decision to end this marriage long before him, had stayed here knowing how much this opportunity meant to him. She'd checked out of this relationship long before he had.

"Look, Brenda, I came to explain myself. I'm sorry about the way it happened, I really am. I'm sorry if it hurt you so bad, but face it, we both knew it was going to happen."

"Fritz, I think I deserved better than a process server. And for them to show up at my work? Do you know how fast rumours spread around that place?"

"Well, it's not like you would have been home, Brenda, that place is your home. It's why we are where we are today!" Fritz's temper started to flare, Brenda watched him warily. She wished that she was anywhere but here.

"As you keep reminding me, over and over again, Fritz. I know, I work too much, I'm too devoted to the job."

"I didn't come here to fight Brenda. I came here to explain why I filed the papers, and I didn't think I could do that over the phone."

"So, tell me then. What made you decide seven months after to finally file?"

"When you started making excuses to not come to Washington, I knew that you were never going to come with me, to make us a family again. I've tried hard to be accommodating, I really thought we might have a shot, especially when you at least tried to visit in the beginning. But then, when you stopped coming out, I knew it wasn't going to work. I can't be the only one flying back and forth all the time. It takes compromise, and you're not willing to do it.

Brenda stared at him mutely, knowing there was some truth in his statement. However, what he said next shocked her.

"Anyway, you started missing our weekends together and I got upset. I'm in Washington, trying to reestablish myself, make new friends, anything to make me forget the wife who doesn't want to be with me. I made friends with fellow agents, including a really good friend named Melissa Evans. We spent a lot of nights at the office, just talking. But things have happened between us lately, and I've had to re-evaluate everything."

"What do you mean, "things have happened" between you? What things?" Brenda questioned him.

"You know, "things", Brenda, do I have to spell it out for you? Point being, it's made things easier with letting you go. I will always love you, Brenda, but I realize it's never going to work between us. And I think it might work with Melissa. She wants a family, kids, things you never have been interested in. And as much as I love you, it's always going to be a barrier between us. I filed because I finally realized you are never going to be any different, and neither am I. We want different things out of life, and I'm not willing to put my life on hold anymore."

Brenda stared mutely at him. He was right, of course, but it still hurt to hear these things said out loud.

Emotions swirled through her. She hated letting go of things, and Fritz had been a huge part of her life for so long now. To have it all swept away was overwhelming.

In a soft voice, Brenda said "So that's it, huh? All these years." she blinked back tears.

"I'm sorry, Brenda. I just don't see how we can work through this." Fritz approached her, bringing her in for a hug, which she accepted.

"I'm sorry, too, Fritz. I just can't believe it's really over." She clutched at him, tears starting to fall.

"People change, Brenda. I just hoped we'd always be together."

Brenda said nothing, just standing there crying in his arms. Finally, she tore herself away from him, wiping the tears off her face. "Listen, I think I'm going to head for bed, it's been a long day. You can stay in the guest room."

Fritz watched her gather her stuff off of the couch, noticing the Dodgers cap. Trying to lighten the mood, he commented on it. "You've taken up going to Dodgers games now? When did that start?"

"Oh, today was the first time I've been to one. I got coerced into wearing this idiotic hat." She gave a brief smile, not willing to elaborate on her day.

"Were you on a date? You hardly ever went to Dodgers games with me." Curiosity got the better of him.

"No! I wasn't on a date! I was out with Provenza and Flynn! They were worried about me and wanted to make sure I was okay, after the little surprise I got yesterday. We've all become quite good friends outside the office the last few months." Brenda was quite flustered. The end of the day out had been more like the end of a date than a day out with "good friends"

Fritz eyed her, wondering what was up, especially when Brenda used that tone. He let it go though, knowing he was really one to talk.

"Skybox tickets, by any chance?" He remembered all those years ago and how the dynamic duo had managed to take over a crime scene after leaving a dead body in Provenza's garage.

"No, no, just regular ones, I think. I really don't know. They were good seats, anyway. The Dodgers won." Brenda stuffed the cap into her purse and turned, retreating towards her bedroom.

"Goodnight, Brenda. And for what it's worth, I am sorry, once again."

"Me too, Fritz, me too. See you in the morning."

She closed her room door, dropping her purse into a chair and then sitting on the edge of the bed. She held her face in her hands, absorbing everything that had been said. Fritz had moved on from being with her three months ago. Not only was he seeing someone, he was sleeping with someone too. Her thoughts turned to Flynn, as she'd been almost on that step also. She got up and headed for the washroom, needing to shower. Turning on the hot water, she stepped into the stinging needles of water, willing herself to just stop thinking for a few minutes. She endured the heat for a few moments before stepping out and readying for bed. Sleep wouldn't come to her though. She tossed and turned, her mind unable to turn off. Thoughts of Fritz and Flynn plagued her. As bad as she felt about the end of her marriage, the thoughts of Flynn and what he had to offer at the moment invaded.

Brenda tried to drive thoughts of Andy away, but it was a losing battle. She needed to see him, to talk to him, to _be_ with him. The thoughts were driving her crazy and she wasn't sure why. She got out of bed and began to pace her room. She suddenly went to the closet, grabbing one of her trench coats and putting it on over her pajamas. She'd made up her mind, she was going to finish what they'd started earlier. After all, if Fritz could move on, so could she. She grabbed her purse, fished out her car keys and quietly opened her bedroom door. She felt ridiculous having to sneak out of her own house, but here she was, doing so. She closed the door quietly, traveled through the living room and slipped out the front door.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N This chapter is leaning towards an m rating, just a warning. Thanks for those who are continuing to read, I appreciate it. Calli, thanks for the encouragement, hope you enjoy this one! As always, the Closer and the characters aren't mine. I just wish they were!**_

Getting in her car, Brenda debated the merits of what she was doing, but found herself drawn to the small house across town. She had to see Andy again, needed to. Once she arrived at his place, self-doubt filled her. _What was she doing?_, she asked herself. She had no answer though. She walked to Flynn's front door and rang the bell. She heard a sleepy _Who is it?_, along with approaching footsteps.

"It's me, Lt." she said, feeling foolish.

The door opened and she faced a very happy Andy Flynn, standing there in pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt. "May I come in?" she said, flustered.

Andy stood back, gesturing for her to come in. Brenda walked into his living room, surveying her surroundings. She'd never been to his place before and found it simply decorated, very masculine. Very well taken care of, also. It was almost as impeccable as the way he dressed for work, she thought. She put her purse down on a chair and turned to face him.

"I believe we had some unfinished business before, Lt." she said, meeting his gaze.

"Did we now? Well, what do you think we should do about it?" Flynn asked, taking a step towards her.

Brenda started to undo the belt of her coat, and shrugged it off, setting it with her purse. She stepped towards him slowly. "Hm, I don't know, what do you say we start with something like this?" she closed the space between them, reaching up to his neckline and feathered it with small kisses.

Andy placed his hands on her hips, drawing her in closer. She turned her head upwards then, abandoning his neck and staring at him instead. He reached down, kissing her deeply. Her arms snaked around his neck, and the next thing she knew, he was hoisting her upwards. She wrapped her legs tightly around him, kissing him back deeply.

"Are you sure about this?" Flynn asked. He would only proceed with her permission.

"I'm sure. Bedroom?" Brenda asked.

Andy set her back on her feet, taking her hand. He lead her towards his room, hardly believing this was going to happen. Once there, he turned to face her again, pulling her in for a kiss. He slid his arms around her, running his hands up and down her fragile spine, enjoying the thrill of feeling her body against his, her arms around his neck, her aroused breasts pressed against his chest. The combination of sensations was almost overwhelming in the small room.

Shifting his hands from her waist to her butt, he dropped his lips to hers again as he walked her backwards toward the bed against the opposite wall. Teasing her lips with his, he grinned as she followed his movements, trying to capture his questing lips with hers.

Feeling the back of her calves hit the soft mattress, Brenda stopped, glancing up into Andy's eyes, darkened in passion. Momentarily entranced, she caught her breath as she felt his hands slide from her butt to the hem of her tee shirt. Staring at her as he slowly pulled the cotton material upwards; she raised her arms obediently, allowing him to pull the barrier free from her body. He looked at her appreciatively, his hand moving upwards, slowly, gently touching her breasts. She shivered, and he pulled her close, kissing her again.

Her hands tugged at his shirt, and he helped her getting it off, their upper bodies now pressed against one another, the feel of bare skin arousing both of them even more. They lowered themselves to the bed, not letting go of one another, still kissing each other deeply, their hands wandering over one another. Brenda took control then, flipping over and pinning him beneath her, her legs planted on either side of his body. She took his hands and brought them to her chest, placing them there, before bending and kissing him deeply. He gently rubbed her breasts, before reaching up and capturing one in his mouth, nipping at it, causing her to squirm. He took control again, and flipped her over on her back and rose above her. He eased her pyjama bottoms down, revealing his Chief to him. He rid himself of the rest of his clothes, seeing her smile. Apparently she liked what she saw.

Andy kissed her again, loving the feel of Brenda with him. He'd thought of moments like this over the years, of being wild with her. Instead, he was being as gentle as he could. It was like he was afraid of scaring her off, except she'd been the one to show up at his door to continue things. He slowly eased her knees apart, positioning himself to enter her. He went slowly, before picking up pace. He raised her hips, and she wrapped her legs tightly around him. She was making deep, throaty noises, the kind he'd heard her using when she was enjoying one of her treats at the office. Apparently she liked what was happening. He felt her nails scraping along her back, and knew she'd left her mark on him. He pressed his fingers into backside, pulling her tightly to him, knowing he'd leave bruises there. He lost it then, couldn't remember anything until a few minutes later when release came for both of them. He collapsed on top of her, she bore the brunt of his weight, feeling his rapidly beating heart against her. His head rested on her chest, and she wrapped her arms around it, kissing the top of his head.

Andy didn't want to lose contact with her, but when he released her, he pulled her close to him. He was afraid she'd up and disappear, this whole night being a dream. She kissed him, feathering kisses along his jawline. One of her legs was draped over his, their bodies in tight contact still. Brenda's fingers trailed up and down Andy's side, exploring what was new territory for her. She drew tiny patterns as she worked her way up and down, committing his body to her memory.

He kissed her forehead, drawing lazy circle eights against her back. "Why did you come here tonight, Chief?"

"Isn't it obvious, Andy? And don't call me Chief in here. It's Brenda. In here, it's Brenda." She stopped her ministrations to look at him, hoping he would get the message.

"I know what you were here for, _Brenda_, I just wondered why. I thought you were otherwise occupied the rest of the evening. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy you're here." He kissed her forehead again.

Brenda began to feel slightly uncomfortable and broke contact with him briefly to flip over, so she wouldn't have to face him. He pulled her back to him, he didn't want to break contact. His hands flitted over her stomach, his thumb tracing patterns on her midsection. She felt safe in his arms.

"I just wanted to be with someone who wants _me._ Who doesn't blame me for disappointing them."

Andy kissed her neck, capturing her hand in his. He just held on to her tight, afraid she'd disappear as quickly as she'd appeared. He had no idea when they drifted off to sleep, but they had. Brenda awoke with a start, breaking the embrace they had enjoyed throughout the night.

"Ooooh, I have to get home! I'm sorry, Andy, I really have to get going." She leaped out of his bed, wrapping a sheet around her as she looked for her clothes. She located them and slipped quickly into them.

Andy sat up in the bed, watching her. He didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to stay, have a lazy Sunday morning with the two of them laying in bed, learning everything about one another. But he didn't say anything, how could he? He'd decided to play be her rules because he didn't want to scare her away. She sat down on the bed beside him, taking his face in her hands and kissing him.

"Look, I don't want to leave, but I have to get home and sign those divorce papers. And I don't want to complicate things with Fritz." She kissed him again.

"Don't worry, I understand. Doesn't mean I don't wish like hell you would stay here with me."

Brenda smiled at him, loving his frank honesty. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Whatever you say, _Chief._" Andy added, knowing she wouldn't be happy with it.

Brenda gave him a pained look and kissed him again. As she pulled on her trench coat, Andy got out of bed, throwing on his robe. He came up behind her, hugging her to him. She turned, kissing him again. She liked doing that a lot. He held her hand, walking out into the living room, where she grabbed her purse, gave him a final kiss and left his house as quickly as she appeared.

Andy sighed, walked back to his bedroom and went to have a cold shower. It was the only way he was going to be able to be able to get back to sleep.

Brenda drove off, her mind racing. _ What had she done?_, she asked herself. She'd wanted Flynn, she'd had him, now what? How was she suppose to work alongside of him, pretending he didn't mean anything to her? And the thought flitted through her mind and took hold that she'd used him. She'd been feeling bad about getting the divorce papers, was angry that Fritz had moved on months ago, and she knew that Flynn would want to continue what they'd started earlier in the evening. She'd been right, but now she began to feel bad for using one man and in a way, betraying another. Even though he'd betrayed her first. The sun was starting to come up when she pulled into her driveway. She quietly let herself into the house, sneaking back into her room, where the doubts and recriminations took hold once again.


	11. Chapter 11

Brenda went to shower once she was safely in her bedroom. She had no idea when Fritz would be up, but she needed to get her head together. She was torn over the fact that she'd basically run out on Andy this morning. She'd felt she had no choice, how would she explain to Fritz that she'd disappeared through the night to sleep with another man? She thought about Flynn. Things had been much different with him then she'd ever thought. The fact that he was so gentle with her had been a complete surprise. She remembered him holding her gently through the night and actually missed it. He was nothing like he seemed.

Brenda sighed as the hot water poured over her. She had to get the papers signed and finish this with Fritz. He'd obviously moved on and so had she. Still, it hurt. And thinking of Flynn confused her. What was it with him and her? One night stand? Friends with benefits? The start of a new relationship? If it was a new relationship, what would they do? As much as she was attracted to him, she didn't want to jeopardize their jobs. Sleeping with a subordinate could end up in another ethics review for her. Flynn or her could be transferred. Was it worth the risk? She didn't know. All she knew was that for the first time in seven months she'd been happy last night.

She finally got out of the shower, drying herself off. She went to pull on a robe before noticing the beginnings of some bruising on her lower backside. She smiled as she remembered how she got those bruises. Flynn had left his mark on her in more ways than one. She shrugged on her robe before walking back to her bedroom. She picked up the divorce papers. Grabbing a pen, she signed her name to them. It was time to move on with things. She changed into sleep pants and a t-shirt, then she lay on the bed to grab a bit of sleep before Fritz got up. The next thing she remembered was her phone chiming beside her. She got up with a start, grabbing it, smiling when she seen the name on the caller i.d. It was Flynn.

"Good morning. Did I wake you?" Andy asked her.

"Yeah, but it's okay. I needed to get up anyway. I'll catch a nap later. For some reason I'm just exhausted this morning." she smiled.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"I suppose in this case it is. Are you coming over later? I'm not sure what time his flight leaves though. We can spend the afternoon together, if you want. We need to sort some things out." Brenda wasn't sure what made her ask, she just wanted to see him again, and try to figure out where things were headed with them.

"I'd like nothing more than to see you. Let me know when he leaves, I'll be there." Andy was really smiling now. He actually couldn't wait to see her again. The part about sorting things out worried him, but he'd give anything to be near her again. He really hadn't wanted her to leave this morning. Holding her in his arms during the night had been damn near heaven and he'd hated to let her go.

"I'll do that. And Andy?" she paused.

"What, Chief?"

"Last night was really...nice. I had a great night."

"Me too, Brenda, me too."

"See you later, okay? I better get going. I can hear Fritz in the kitchen."

"I'll be there." With that, he hung up, choosing to ignore the fact that her soon-to-be ex was in the next room.

Brenda got up and stretched, looking at the divorce papers sitting there. A few hours ago she felt liked she'd used Flynn, now, not so much. If things crashed and burned between them, she'd deal with it, just like she'd dealt with everything over the years. God knows she was dealing with the death of her marriage. She picked up the divorce papers and went out to the kitchen, where Fritz stood making up his coffee cup.

"Good morning." Brenda said, trying to be civil.

"Good morning yourself. Would you like some?" he indicated the coffee pot.

"Sure, thanks." Brenda felt so awkward. It was like when they were first getting to know one another. "When is your flight back to Washington?" she asked.

"It leaves at 12:15. I'll be out of your hair soon enough." Fritz took a sip of his coffee.

"I signed the papers. I'll give them to you before you leave." Brenda replied.

"So, I guess this is it then. You do know I still love you, right? It's just time to move on."

"I know Fritz, I heard what you said last night. And don't worry, we'll be fine. We will. I'd still like to be friends, Fritz. Do you think we can manage that?" Brenda asked, sorry for the way things were.

"I'd like to try, Brenda, I would. I guess we'll just have to see."

Silence enveloped them again, and Brenda remembered the good times they had together. She flashed back to when he'd asked her to marry him, to when they'd first been dating and he had been one of her only allies in L.A. She remembered the day he brought Joel to them and when she'd cried when she'd had to let Kitty go. Fritz was a good man. She sighed, wishing they could have worked out their differences. Work called them both, on opposite coasts.

They spent the rest of the morning going through the house, boxing some things up that he hadn't taken to Washington. She promised to ship them to him as soon as possible. She looked at their memories being packed up and sadness swept over her. When it came time for him to leave, she watched him gather his few things.

"Well, I guess this is it." Fritz looked at her, almost willing her to tell him not to go.

"Yeah, I guess. Have a good flight, Fritz." She followed him to the door, slowly. He turned to face her, sadness in his face. It really was over between them. Brenda went to him, enveloping him in a hug. She held on to him for dear life.

They stood hugging each other for a long time. When they pulled apart a little, he gave her a sweet, heartbreaking kiss on the lips. He pulled her in for a hug again and then let go. He gathered his bag and went to the door. Brenda followed.

"You take good care of Joel, okay? I miss the little guy." Fritz looked at her with sadness.

"I will, I promise." Brenda held back the tears, but she wanted to cry.

"Goodbye, Brenda." He turned and went to the rental car that awaited him.

"Goodbye, Fritz." She watched him put his bag in the car and then get in after it. With a final wave, he backed out the driveway and was gone.

Brenda slowly closed the door, numb. She gathered up Joel and settled on the couch, stroking his soft fur. Somehow, she drifted off to sleep, knowing nothing til she heard her doorbell rang. She got up, not knowing what time it was, wondering who was there. She looked through the peephole and seen Flynn standing there. She opened the door to let him in.

"Are you okay? I thought you were going to call." Flynn asked, concern in his voice.

Brenda just stared at him, and then, the floodgates opened and she started to cry. He gathered her in his arms, just holding her while she cried for the loss of another man. There was nothing else he could do. He stroked her hair, telling her it was all going to be okay, at the same time worried that she'd do something drastic like go to Washington to be with the FBI guy because she felt so bad. He worried. They stood there til she was all cried out, but she still wouldn't let him go. She held on tightly, he was her lifeline.

Finally, she spoke. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cry like this. Everything was just so final, watching him walk out the door. This time for good."

"It's okay, really, I understand. You've shared your life with him for a long time. I was a mess after both my marriages broke up. But don't tell Provenza that. He'd never let me live it down."

He managed to get a smile out of her with that, and it was enough to get her to at least move to the couch, where they sat side by side. Pretty soon, she rested her head on his chest and he put his arm around her. Again, she just felt protected in his arms. That's the way they stayed for the longest time, him stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head every now and then.

Conversation started slowly, with Brenda speaking.

"Who would have ever thought that we'd be sitting here like this? Things certainly have changed since we first met. I believe your affectionate term for me back then was "bitch"." Brenda mused.

Andy squirmed, remembering what a jerk he used to be. Then she'd saved his ass and he seen her in a new light. "Yeah, I was an asshole back then. I don't know if I ever did apologize for that."

"No, no apology. And yes, you were an "asshole", I'll agree with that. It's just so odd, you're not nearly the person I thought you were. You hide yourself rather well."

"It's easier to be the tough guy then to be thought of as soft. Especially in this line of work. Look, I have no excuse for the way I acted back then. I was friends with Taylor, at least I thought I was, and you came in and took over. I am sorry for the way I acted, especially since we never gave you a chance, we just tried to get rid of you. I am very lucky you saved my sorry ass later on. Thank you for giving me a chance." He held her close to him, regretting how he'd acted years after the fact.

"I admit, I can come on a little strong. It's why I'm so beloved by so many divisions in this town." Brenda said sarcastically. "I could have been a little more diplomatic, I suppose. It's not really in my nature, as you know by now."

"I wouldn't change anything about you, Chief. It's who you are." At that, she turned her face up to him, looking him in the eyes, trying to determine whether he was bullshitting her because he was now sleeping with her, or if he was telling the truth. She thought he was telling the truth. At that, she sighed. Flynn lowered his head and captured her lips with his. This was all so foreign to him, he was used to being on his own, and having these little moments of happiness made him wonder what was happening to him. He was turning into as big a cheeseball as Provenza had been when he'd been dating that younger woman.

Knowing they needed to discuss whether they were a "them" or not, Brenda finally brought the subject up. "Where do we go from here, Andy? I don't want to be just friends with benefits. I don't want to be one of your one night stands." She rested in his arms again.

"You'd never be a one night stand. You mean too much to me." Flynn admitted.

Touched she looked up at his face. "You've never said anything. You kept it hidden well."

"Well, you've been with FBI guy for most of the time I've known you. And you've spent the last few months suffering from your break-up with him. I don't want to be the rebound guy. I want something more. But I'm not going to push you. I'm willing to play by your rules, if it means we can be together. And for the record, it's not just about sex with you." He left it at that.

"I don't want anyone to know about us. Not because I'm ashamed, I'm not. It's just if anyone finds out, one of us will have to transfer. And I don't want that. You're too damn good at your job for me to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you either. Plus, I'd never luck out and get another boss with legs as great as yours." He kept a straight face at that. Brenda sat up and looked at him, almost irritated. When she seen he was joking, she swatted at him and said "Oh, you!".

"What?" he said, finally breaking out laughing.

"What is it about you and my legs?"

"They're great, Chief. I love them. They're even better looking than I ever imagined, to tell you the truth." referring to when he'd seen them unclothed the night before.

Brenda blushed at his inference. Flynn made her feel strangely, taking in these compliments she hadn't heard from anyone in a long time. She adjusted her body, reaching in to kiss him once again. She then settled in beside him, pulling a blanket over the two of them, turning on the television. As much as Flynn would have loved to have taken her to the next room and see those legs again, he settled for holding her hand under the blanket and just being with her. He hoped there would be plenty of opportunity in the future to revisit last night, and that they would be in a real, lasting relationship. This seemed like a great start, and he'd take what she could give right now. He had no desire to drive her away, things would go at the pace she set. He'd waited so long for this opportunity that was here and didn't want to destroy it.


	12. Chapter 12

Brenda and Andy finally stirred from the couch they rested on to order in some pizza. Hunger had finally caught up to Brenda and she'd needed something, so they'd decided on pizza. Afterwards, she started clearing up, wanting to get the dishes done from the day. He followed her to the kitchen, intending to help. He watched as she washed the dishes and smirked at her. So domestic, he thought to himself.

"What are you smiling at?" Brenda had caught his smirk and wondered about it.

"Just funny, seeing you doing something like housework. It's not something I'd ever thought I'd see you do."

"Me doing the dishes is funny?" Brenda didn't know whether to be miffed or smile back at him.

"Actually, I think it's sexy. Very sexy." Andy stood behind her.

Brenda pretended to concentrate on doing the dishes, totally aware of him being so close behind her. Her body felt like it was on red alert. Yes, they'd cuddled on the couch for the better part of the day, but this, this was different.

Andy bent forward, not touching her, hands on either side of her, letting his lips hover by her ear. He whispered to her "It's a good look for you." His warm breath gusted over her skin, causing a chill to course through her body. He bent his head slightly, kissing her bare neck lightly. Brenda dropped the plate she'd been washing back into the sink. She trembled at his touch and licked her lips. She finally turned to face him, after peeling her gloves off.

"Is it now? I wouldn't get to thrilled with it. I don't do it that often." Brenda replied.

Andy shifted them down the counter, to where there was nothing on it. With little effort, he lifted her up, so that she came to sit on the hard surface. Except for picking her up, and that brief kiss to her neck, he didn't touch her. He hovered over her, keeping just far enough away to frustrate her. She finally couldn't take it anymore, pulling him closer.

Andy ran his tongue over her bottom lip and she made a happy, breathy noise and opened her mouth to him and he didn't have to be invited twice. Wrapping his other arm around her he pulled her body flush with his, his fingers whispering delicately over the skin of her neck while his tongue invades her mouth, testing and savoring at the same time. He felt her arms go around him and he sighed with satisfaction and deepened the kiss, losing himself completely in the taste and feel of her. Tugging her close, he touched his lips softly to her forehead, holding onto her, just holding. Then he tipped her head back and began gently kissing her face; one kiss to each of her cheeks, then each of her eyelids and finally to her lips. His hands are stroking through her hair as he presses kiss after kiss to her mouth. It's only a minute before her lips are clinging to his, her mouth opening under his and they've moved from tender and comforting to passionately intense.

Brenda clung to him, pulling him ever closer to him. His hands had a life of their own, snaking under her shirt so he's touching her warm back. He felt her arch into him and was pleased that he could have this affect on her. In return, Brenda could feel the affect she was having on him, as he pressed against her with an increasingly noticeable reaction. She brought her legs up around his waist, drawing him in, giving a sharp intake of breath as he pressed against her. It also brings her back to reality, there is no way she's going to do this on her kitchen counter, she thinks to herself.

She finally found her voice, saying "If you want this to continue, I think we better be takin' this elsewhere."

Andy's breath was ragged, at this point, he realizes he'd doing anything for her. If she wants to be elsewhere, he'll comply. He picked her up, her legs still holding him close to her, her body pressed tightly to his, and made his way towards her bedroom. She continued kissing him, and he remarkably made his way to her room without too much incident.

Once in there, Andy set her down, retaining some control over himself. He watched as she turned around and slowly walked to the bed. He followed her, not wanting to be away from her. He captured her body with his hands before she had lowered herself on the bed. Tenderly, he brushed her hair away from her neck so that the skin lay exposed in front of him. Softly he placed his lips right behind her ear and enjoyed the way she automatically moved against him to increase their body contact. His hands travelled over her flat stomach and slender waist, then they moved down to tug at her pyjama bottoms. Brenda gripped his arm with her hand, softly stroking up and down his skin while she was leaning back into him, completely giving herself over to the emotion that he evoked inside her with his soft kisses and caresses against her neck.

Brenda shivered slightly as his hands touched her arms and began to stroke up and down her sensitive skin, while his lips nibbled at her ear again. She turned to face him, looking into his brown eyes, surprised by the fire she seen in them. Her hands flittered under his t-shirt and she lifted it up and over his head. In the dim light, she seen the thin scars that marked his abdomen, a reminder of when the team had almost lost him last year. Her fingers traced the marks, and she bent to kiss them. She felt him shiver under her gentle touch. She proceeded to feather kisses up his chest, finally reaching his lips.

Andy's hands cupped her face and then dropped to the hem of her shirt again. He tugged it gently upwards, slipping it over her head, leaving the both of them bare from the waist up. She shivered as the cold air met her body, and he pulled her close. He felt her hands working at the buttons of his jeans, and she accomplished her goal of opening them. Pretty soon, they stood naked, holding one another. They lowered to the bed, holding each other tightly. She held his eyes for a moment, returning his soft look, while her hand moved up his neck, coming to rest on his cheek. Then her eyes fell close again, as their passion took over.

Brenda awoke hours later, smiling at the memory of the evening. She felt his arm wrapped tightly around her, and quite enjoyed the feeling. She listened to the gentle rhythm of his breathing, his warm breath tickling her skin. She turned around in bed to face him. He stayed asleep as she examined his face. Although she still felt conflicted about whatever she wanted to call this, she couldn't deny that there had always been something between them. He had had the ability to get under her skin like no other member of her team. She tried to think when hate had turned to something else, because although she could very well deny that she had hated him, she would be lying. He had made her first months here hell. She would never have thought she'd end up in this position. At the same time, she never thought that the one person she'd relied on in those early days would one day try to change her so much and then be gone from her life. She sighed, thinking of how things had changed.

Andy heard the sigh in his sleep, and he slowly awoke. He smiled when he seen her looking at him, it was a very pretty sight to wake up to.

"What time is it?" he asked her.

"It's late. Something like 1:30. Do you have to go?" She liked having him in her bed.

"You want me to stay?" he teased her.

"Yes. Unbelievable as that may seem." she smiled at him.

"I'll get up early and go home to shower and change."

"It wouldn't do to show up at work in your casual clothes, would it? Provenza would know something is up for sure."

"About that, he's already thinking that something is going on between us." He seen the panic in Brenda's eyes when he said that.

"When did he say something about it?" she asked, a little panicky. She wasn't ready for anyone to know about her and Flynn, let alone another member of their team.

"At the ballgame the other day. Apparently by my buying you that Dodgers cap and the seat to the ballgame was not something I normally do. I spent money on a lady." he chuckled.

"How are we ever going to make it through work? He's going to know something is up!" Brenda started breathing rapidly, panic overtaking her.

Flynn looked at her, amused that she could get so upset, so fast. "Calm down, calm down. I'll handle it. You just concentrate on work, we'll get through this. I will hold him off."

"Really? Cause that man can wheedle stuff out of you better than I can."

"Are you saying I'm not up to the challenge?" Curiosity filled him, wondering what she really did think of him.

"I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is Provenza can be sneaky at getting what he wants. We'll have to be extra careful around him." Brenda sighed.

"If Daniels and Gabriel could keep it quiet for a year, I'm sure we can too." He kissed her then. "This will be our secret for as long as you want. Just tell me you want to keep seeing me. I can't walk out of here not knowing that I mean something to you."

Brenda looked at him, scared of her emotions suddenly. "You mean a great deal to me. This is just so new and strange. I never expected to have feelings for someone else, ever. I thought Fritz was it. It's just overwhelming, knowing that I could feel anything for anyone else. So, please bear with me, while I try to work my way through this."

In response, he reached down and kissed her, before she settled into his arms and they drifted back to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Andy left her bed around five in the morning, kissing her goodbye and telling her he'd see her at work. Brenda had seen him to the door, and with a final kiss, had sent him on his way. She had crawled back in to bed, and caught a little more sleep.

She finally rolled out of bed on Monday morning, nervous about going to work. Although she seemed fine with the way things had went last night, now that it was a work day and she was going to have to face Andy and maintain a professional relationship with him, not giving anything away, she wasn't sure how she was going to do it. She felt like she had a big sign on her saying "Hey, I slept with Flynn!" on her.

She thought back to yesterday, spending the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing with Flynn on the couch. And then, when she'd been doing the dishes, she felt like he'd seduced her. She hadn't thought she'd wanted to have round 2 with Flynn, but his close proximity had changed her mind. Never would she have imagined that she'd ever be doing that with him. Yes, she knew he'd been extraordinarily kind and friendly the few months since her split with Fritz, but when things had changed on Saturday, it had taken her by surprise. A relationship with him was not something she'd considered, and she still felt conflicted over it. What kind of relationship was it to have to keep it hidden? Was it fair to either of them? The man had turned out to be such a gentleman, not something she would have ever thought, hearing him talk about women like he did with Provenza. Good god, this was the same man who picked up a flight attendant last year. That was the kind of man she thought he was, not this kind, attentive, _good_ man. She was having trouble wrapping her head around the difference in him.

Brenda sighed, padding out to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat and pour herself a cup of coffee. She put out food for Joel, grabbed her coffee and sat at the table. How did life get so complicated?, she thought to herself. A year ago, she thought she was happily married, loved her job, liked her life. Now? Getting a divorce, having an affair with a co-worker and unsure how she was going to do her job without cluing every other team member in on the fact she was sleeping with one of them. She needed chocolate and it was only 7 in the morning.

She put down her coffee and went to shower and get ready for work. Work helped her to relax, to focus, and she needed that right now, regardless of the reason for her confusion being there. She arrived at work long before anyone else and settled in to her office, closing the blinds. Going over some files, she threw herself into reading them, trying to just think about work. Pretty soon, she heard the stirrings in the outer office of her team arriving and tensed up. She felt like a teenager, wondering if the boy she liked was out there and thinking of her. She got up from her desk and positioned herself behind the blinds to sneak a peek out at the murder room, see if Flynn was there. She seen him putting his coffee cup down on his desk and sighed.

Brenda let the blind go and went and sat at her desk. She hoped that no one had seen her peeking. She wasn't feeling like herself today, that was for sure. Awkward and unsure of herself, yes. Confidant and in control like she normally was, no. She needed coffee, but didn't want to go through the murder room. So, like a sneak, she went out her other door and took the back way around to the break room. She felt nervous and on edge, and with her back to the door, she didn't see the object of her worry come in to the room.

"Are you hiding from me?" Flynn asked.

Brenda jumped and dropped her coffee cup. It shattered and coffee went everywhere. She looked at him, mouth agape, looking at the mess, before grabbing some paper towels. He moved towards her, concerned she'd cut or burned herself. He took the paper towels from her and began to clean the mess. She grabbed some more and bent down to help him.

"No, I'm not hiding from you." she said unconvincingly. "How did you know I was in here?"

"Went to your office. Seen your purse. Figured you might be in for the coffee." He threw the first set of paper towels away and grabbed some more. "So, what is it then?"

Brenda cleaned up some of the broken cup, putting the pieces in the garbage, her voice low. "I don't know, Andy. I'm just nervous. I feel like everybody will be able to tell what we've been doing."

"What are you two up to? We got a call out, Chief." Provenza's voice interrupted them, both of them looked up to his questioning eyes.

"Chief dropped her coffee, and I'm just helping to clean up. Perhaps you would like to lend a hand?" Flynn handed Provenza some paper towels, while Brenda washed her hands. She found another cup and poured herself one without incident this time.

"Are you okay, Chief? You don't seem yourself today." Provenza asked, observing the state the Chief appeared to be in.

Brenda put down her coffee cup, and did that little nervous habit she'd acquired sometime in the last few years. Her hands flew up to her face and neck, patting them, and saying "I'm fine, Lt., just fine. Nothings wrong. Nothing. Thanks for your concern." She picked her cup back up and tried to make a quick exit from the room.

Provenza and Flynn looked at one another, confused, albeit for different reasons. When Flynn had left her that morning, Brenda had been fine, so he thought. Now, she was a mess. That's what concerned him. Provenza, on the other hand, turned to Flynn and asked "Is she acting stranger than usual? That woman is a bundle of nerves. What did you do to make her drop her coffee?"

"I said hi and the cup went flying. And yeah, she's acting stranger than usual. Maybe it has to do with the ex. He flew into town this weekend."

"And how do you know that, oh psychic one?" Provenza said mockingly.

"Because he phoned while I was dropping her off the other night, smart ass. She didn't look happy that he'd appeared out of the blue."

"I suppose that could be it. You don't think they got back together, do you?" Provenza questioned him.

Flynn looked down. He knew the truth, but he was still bothered by the fact that Brenda was out of sorts and wondered what doubts had entered her mind in the few short hours they'd been apart. He had to talk to her, but they had a call out and needed to get going.

"No, I don't think so. But I guess she'll tell us when she's ready. Til then, we better finish cleaning this up and get going."

The two quickly finished up, and followed back to the murder room. The Chief was standing with Gabriel, looking over what sparse information they had, and getting ready to roll. She wouldn't look at Flynn, and they took their usual pairings to ride out to the site. Flynn could almost feel the relief from the Chief that she was going with Gabriel.

Flynn's good mood that he'd come in with this morning was rapidly deteriorating. As he listened to Provenza prattle on about the Chief, he rolled his eyes, glad his sunglasses were hiding them. This thing with the Chief was going to be much tougher than he thought. They pulled up to the scene behind Brenda and Gabriel, exiting the car and joining them.

Brenda's mind focused on the case at hand, taking in the scene and assigning everyone to their respective jobs. Work helps her to focus, and it becomes clear to her that she needed to stop avoiding Flynn. She had seen the confused look in his eyes several times, almost a hurt reflected in them, and realized she put it there. She decided she needed to get a hold of herself, contain the feelings of being watched by everyone. It was just her imagination.

The morning passed quickly, the team going about their jobs with proficiency. And when they broke up to go about their tasks after the coroner arrived, Brenda sent Gabriel with Tao to deliver the news to the family of the death. She'd trained him well and knew he could handle it. She sent Provenza with Sanchez to the victim's apartment, and told them they'd be right behind them. This left her alone with Flynn, where she could finally talk to him.

As they climbed into the car, she put a hand on his arm before he could start it up. "I'm sorry, Andy." she said softly.

"What did I do wrong? What happened? It's like you're closing off from me." He peered into her eyes, looking for some explanation.

"I don't know, to tell you the truth. Somewhere this morning I just got thinking that it was wrong for you to be in a relationship with anyone and not be able to say it. I just felt guilty. And then, I got thinking that if anyone sees us together, they'll be able to tell what we did this weekend." Brenda admitted, surprised at her honesty with him.

"Look, don't close me off. No one can tell what happened between us, but if you keep acting so nervous, they will know something is up. So please, for our sakes, go back to insulting me, do something, or Provenza will catch on. If it means being near you, being _with_ you, I will do anything. If that includes never revealing to anyone that we're together, so be it. Just as long as we're together."

Andy clutched her hand, hoping no one would see it that still remained at the crime scene. Brenda looked at him, realizing he meant every word he said. She smiled at him, seeing how earnest he was.

"Okay, then, Lt., I think I can do that. We better get going, Provenza and Sanchez will be wondering where we are."

Flynn started the car and they drove off. Once they were out of sight of the crime scene, however, he parked at the side of the road, turned to Brenda and kissed her. It took her breath away, and ended too soon as he pulled away and put the car in drive again.


	14. Chapter 14

The next couple of days went exceedingly well for Brenda and Andy. Brenda stopped feeling like she was wearing a neon sign, and Flynn was his usual snarky self. If anyone could tell they were "together", that anything had changed between the two of them, they didn't mention it. No rumours, nothing. Flynn knew where to listen for gossip, and he'd heard nothing. And if Provenza had known anything, he would have been giving Flynn a hell of a time. It was quiet. Too quiet.

Wednesday night, Flynn came over for dinner. He'd tried to give Brenda some space, not be around her all the time. They were still working out their footing in this relationship and he thought he'd give her time. But having not been with him since Sunday night, Brenda was frustrated.

Flynn had kept to his word, acting as he normally did. Brenda had been able to pull herself together and carry on and they'd not had any interaction outside the office since Sunday. When he'd been in her office discussing the case, Brenda had casually brought up the idea of him coming over for dinner that night. He'd been more than happy to accept that. Brenda had been in an exceedingly good mood the rest of the day.

They never made it to dinner. After work, he'd headed home, grabbing a change of clothes, on the off chance that things would happen tonight. He didn't want to have to leave early in the morning to go home and change. This time he was prepared. What he wasn't prepared for was his arrival at her house and her greeting to him. He'd knocked on the door, and she'd opened it, a smile on her face. She'd reached out and grabbed him, pulling him into the apartment. They were barely in the door before Brenda whirled around and planted a kiss on him. She'd backed him up against the wall, and he'd pulled her in closer, loving this forwardness by her. She always seemed so respectable and vanilla at work, but behind closed doors she was anything but. They grappled with each other and left a trail of clothing to her bedroom. Afterwards, they lay there and talked.

"Well, that was unexpected." Andy said to her.

"It's been a few days. I've missed being near you." Brenda said, stroking his chest.

Andy responded by kissing her. "So, you've missed me. You see me every day. How do you miss me?" he smiled.

"Cause I can't do this at the office. I've missed this." She kissed him deeply. "You've been a real good boy, behaving at the office. Thank you for that."

"If it means having "dinners" like this with you, I'll be an angel, a choir boy." His fingers stroked her bare arms. She giggled, like a teenager.

He lay there with her, happy. He hadn't felt this way in a long time, happiness was foreign to him, he thought. But she made him happy. He hoped she felt the same way.

"Why did you start being so nice to me after Fritz left? Were you just waiting to swoop in? Pick up the pieces of a shattered Chief?" She said it in a teasing tone, showing she was just joking with him.

"You looked like you needed a friend. I really didn't think you had anyone you were close to out here that might understand. Pope, maybe, but I didn't know if things had been right between the two of you since the race for Chief."

"I've never made any friends, really. Only y'all at work. I'd rather be around y'all anyway. Fritz tried to get us involved with some of his work friends, but I always felt like an outsider. Besides, with my schedule, I don't have time. I do see Daniels, sometimes, but it's not the same. I miss her on the team." Brenda sighed.

"You've made time for dinner with me weekly. And you made time to go out with the team." Flynn commented.

"Well, I want to be around y'all. You're the only ones that I might not offend. You're used to me. Fritz always said I didn't play well with the other children." she laughed.

"Was he always telling you your faults? Cause that's all I hear from you "Fritz said this, Fritz said that." Was he ever happy with you?" Flynn questioned her. As strong as she was at work, in her personal life she'd seemed to be a mess.

"He didn't like how I did things sometimes. It wasn't all bad. But he thought I was too work focused and would do anything to get my confession, to the point where I would sabotage him. He was right, in that regard. You know I've done it to you too, Andy." Brenda admitted.

"I know. And I was angry with you. But I don't hold it against you. I know what it feels like to want to nail someone for what they've done."

"I think you're just saying that to make me feel better. I know I can be too focused on getting the confession."

"Doesn't matter." Andy said, and left it at that.

They lay quiet for awhile, before getting up and getting ready. They walked out of the bedroom, Brenda heading to the fridge to see what she could make for dinner, now that she'd had her way with him.

"You know, I can't cook very much. I'm used to eating a lot of takeout." Brenda said, bent over, looking into the fridge.

Andy came up behind, enveloping her in a hug. She straightened up, leaning back against him. "You got me here under false pretences then. This was a setup." He kissed her neck.

"Forgive me?" she smiled.

"Well, we could go get some take-out and come back here. As long as you know a good vegetarian place." Flynn continued kissing her neck.

"You keep this up, we'll never eat tonight." Brenda sighed.

"It's your punishment for false pretences." Andy laughed.

Brenda pretended to pout, but eventually smiled and chuckled. "Let's walk to this Chinese place that isn't too far away. We can get something there." She grabbed her favourite sweater and tied the belt. Flynn shrugged on his suit jacket and followed her.

Outside the door, he took the bold step of holding her hand. He didn't think anyone from work would see them here, and hoped she wouldn't freak out. He smiled when she clutched his hand back, and they strolled along. Brenda was as relaxed as she could be, to Andy she did look happy.

They spent the evening together, ending up back in bed shortly after they'd finished dinner. He'd stopped at his car on the way back into the house, grabbing his overnight bag. She'd smiled happily at him, knowing he wouldn't have to leave so early in the morning.

Thursday morning dawned and Brenda got up to get ready for work. Starting the shower, she started undressing to climb in, getting a towel and washcloth ready. She was just starting to soap up when she heard Andy come into the room. She jumped a little when Andy followed her into the shower. She'd only ever been in there with Fritz, and even they'd been engaged. As the hot water poured over her though, his nearness made her groan. She turned to him, kissing him, moving against him. It occurred to her that her niece was right. Now that she'd started doing this with Flynn, it was like she needed to be with him all the time. She couldn't get enough of him. Things with him were turning into something very intense.

The mornings activities had put her in an extremely good mood. When they got to work, she ensconced herself in her office, back to being the Chief. Andy knew the peace was too good to last. The first thing he knew that it was going to be along day was when Provenza came to his desk, sitting on the edge of it and leaning in, conspiratorially.

"Listen, Flynn, I've managed to set us up for tonight with this girl I met. She's got a friend for you, we've got dates tonight at 8. Can you make it?" Provenza stared at him intently.

"Um, it's Thursday. You know I go out with the Chief for dinner. Why would you make it for tonight?" Flynn was vaguely pissy, he liked his dinners with the Chief, regardless of the fact that their relationship had changed.

"Well, this is your opportunity to break away from her. You've got it bad, Flynn. Remember, no good can come from it. Besides, you said you would at the ballgame. That's why I went out and got us some dates!" Provenza said.

Inwardly, Flynn groaned. His good mood was starting to evaporate. How could he tell the woman he'd just spent the last few hours with he was going to miss their weekly outing because he had a date? And it wouldn't be with her. God, he didn't want to screw things up with her. But Provenza was looking at him closely, and Flynn felt trapped. If he said no to Provenza, he'd be hounded about it. If he cancelled on Brenda, she might cancel on him permanently. He was stuck, no matter what.

Finally he spoke. "Let me see if it's okay with the Chief first, okay? She likes these dinners. I'd hate to disappoint her."

Provenza looked at him with something like disdain. "See, this is what I mean. You have to break away from her! She's not your girlfriend, she's your boss! Grow a pair, man!" he said huffily.

"I still have to tell her. I can't just not show up at the restaurant. We've been going out for dinner for 5 months now."

Provenza rolled his eyes. "Geesh, go ask her then, you little lapdog." With that, he turned and went back to his desk.

Flynn got up and proceeded towards the Chief's office. He felt like he was going to his execution. He knocked on her office door, and couldn't help but smile when she smiled at him. He entered, turning to take a look at Provenza through the glass, before shutting the blinds. He didn't need this to be a theatre production so that Provenza could make fun of him later. Brenda looked at him with curiosity, wondering why he had shut the blinds.

"Brenda, don't be angry with me." he started off with. He used her name, hoping she'd go easy on him.

"Don't be angry about what, Andy?" Her smile started to fade.

"Provenza thinks we've been spending way too much time together. And in an effort to "help" me get over you, he's set up a date with his date's friend."

The smile was completely off her face now. "Why? Why would he do that? You can't go out on a date, not with another woman!"

Andy flinched, this was not going well. "It doesn't mean anything to me, Brenda. I'll go on one lousy date, get him off my back and never see her again."

"So, you'd go out with another woman? Now?" Brenda started to rise from her desk.

Andy went around behind it, knowing that if she'd taken this part the wrong way, the next part wasn't going to go well either.

"Well, it's more to get him off my back. I can't let on that we have something together now. Are you prepared to go public? If I don't go, he's just going to keep at me. I promise, one date, and that's it. It won't be even a real date. I have no intention of anything happening. Nothing."

"Somehow, that's not making me feel any better. Well, when is this disaster suppose to happen? Friday, Saturday night?" Brenda grumbled.

Andy looked at his feet. "Um, he made the dates for tonight. On purpose."

"TONIGHT! But tonight is when we go to our restaurant! I love going to that restaurant." Brenda started towards the door, she wanted to smack Provenza.

Andy held her back, pulling her backwards into him, holding her til she calmed down. "It's okay, sweetheart, it's okay. Look, as soon as I possibly can, I'll call it a night and go home. Trust me, nothing is going to happen. I will never see whoever this person is again."

"Nothing better happen between you and this _woman_. Nothing." Brenda seethed.

Inwardly, Flynn actually smiled. His Brenda was jealous. She did feel something for him. If this was a casual thing, she'd never be this upset. Brenda shook off his arms and went to her candy drawer. She needed the Hershey bar. She located one quickly, and ripped it open, biting into it. She slumped in her chair again, her good mood from this morning now gone.

"Are we good? You're not angry with me, are you? I just want to get him off my back."

"Oh, Andy, we'll be good. It doesn't mean that I'm not angry, but right now, mostly I just want to kill Provenza. I trust you, I do. It's just, it's our night. I love that place." Even the chocolate wasn't helping this time.

Andy went to her doors and made sure they were locked. He then went to Brenda, and bent down to kiss her gently. He hadn't wanted anyone to walk in on them, he was taking a chance even doing that here at work. She kissed him back, giving him a hug.

When he straightened up to leave, she spoke again. "Just make sure it's not a repeat of your time with those stewardesses. I will not be amused."

Flynn rolled his eyes, before exiting the room. He wasn't impressed with Provenza, which was already going to put a damper on whatever his "friend" had planned for the evening. And now, his girlfriend was pissed at him too. For a day that had started off terrifically, it sure had gone downhill really fast.


	15. Chapter 15

Flynn entered the restaurant with a lot of trepidation. He wondered how he always managed to get himself into these situations. Normally, a night out with Provenza, having a couple of dates to look forward to, would have been a good thing. Now, he was worried that this was going too far. Brenda had been far from happy when he'd left her after work. And by the way she'd been working her way through her candy drawer, she was going to make herself sick because of it.

He hadn't been the only one who'd been on the receiving end of her cold shoulder, however. Provenza had dug himself a pretty deep hole this time, and had to do most of the grunt work that he normally shoved onto Sanchez or Tao. Brenda made sure he did it, by taking Sanchez and Tao with her, where normally it would have been Flynn and Provenza. Neither man was happy. When he'd finally gone in to say goodbye for the night, she'd barely acknowledged him, keeping her head down in a file, while chewing on a KitKat bar. He'd gone home to change, worried that he would have no relationship with the woman. That scared him more than it should.

Flynn looked around the restaurant and seen Provenza sitting with two women. They'd obviously arrived a little ahead of time, as the three had drinks sitting in front of them. He figured he might as well get this over with, and approached the trio.

"Well, it's about time you got here, Flynn! Did you forget when we were suppose to meet?" Provenza said by way of greeting.

"No, I didn't forget, smart ass. I was late leaving work. If you hadn't fled as soon as you could to get away from the Chief, I wouldn't have had to do your share of the paperwork on this case." Flynn grumbled.

"Oh, that. Well, yes, thank you for that. Now these lovely young ladies here are Fiona Stone and Sarah Cook. Sarah is your date for this evening." Provenza said.

Sarah held her hand out to shake Andy's and smiled. Flynn smiled back at her, but felt bad that this was for nothing. "Hi Andy! Glad to meet you!" the woman said. She was small and blond, but at least she didn't have a southern accent. That would have been too much, Flynn thought to himself.

"Hi Sarah. What bad things has Provenza been telling you about me?" Flynn enquired, fearing the worst.

"Not too much. Just that the two of you work together for some hardass woman who makes his life difficult." Sarah smiled at him.

Flynn shot Provenza a glaring look, one that said he didn't appreciate the Chief being called a hardass. It was Provenza's own fault that he got on her bad side today, he knew he was screwing up her plans.

"She's not that bad. She's really nice once you get to know her. If you get on her bad side, however, she will make your life difficult. And Provenza managed to do a great job of getting on her bad side today." Flynn left it at that, but Sarah seen something in Flynn's face that showed her how he felt about the Chief. His face had softened considerably at mention of her, and she realized he was kind of hung up on whoever this "Chief" was.

"You'll have to tell me about her. You two have entirely different visions of her." Sarah took a sip of her drink then.

Flynn almost blushed, if that was possible. He felt uncomfortable about this whole situation, especially since Provenza was now glaring at him. Fortunately, they were interrupted by the waitress coming to bring menus and to get Flynn's drink order. He just picked a ginger ale and sat back to make the best out of this evening.

"So, since you know what Provenza and I do for a living, what do you all do?" Flynn asked, making conversation. Just because this wasn't going anywhere didn't mean he couldn't be polite.

Fiona spoke. "Well, I'm a kindergarten teacher and Sarah works in the office at the school."

Flynn was momentarily stunned. Where the hell had Provenza met a kindergarten teacher? He got his answer shortly.

"I met Louis here a couple of weeks ago, he came to the open house at the school. I teach his grandson. Such a wonderful little boy." All the time, Fiona just kept smiling.

Flynn chuckled, Provenza could pick up women anywhere, apparently. And he let this woman use his given name? After he'd basically threatened to castrate Flynn if he ever said it? Would wonders never cease.

"When he asked me out, and said he had a friend who needed a date, I thought of Sarah. She and I are best friends." Fiona giggled. If it weren't for the fact that she was in her forties, the way she acted would have made Flynn think she was a teenager.

"Yeah, cause I'm desperate and alone. At least that's what Fiona tells me all the time." Sarah said drily.

If it weren't for the fact he already had a girlfriend, Flynn would have liked this Sarah. He only hoped he could get out of this without hurting anyone.

"Provenza thinks that I need to get out more. He's taken it upon himself to make sure I do." Flynn grimaced.

"Am I really that bad to be around?" Sarah fake-pouted.

Flynn thought he'd offended her for a moment til she burst out into a smile and laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I know the feeling. Fiona thinks I'm a lost cause too."

"Now, Sarah, you know that's not true! I just thought you should get out, that's all. It's been six months since your divorce. You need to get out more." Fiona was oblivious, much like Provenza. Trying to fix things that didn't need to be fixed.

Conversation died again once the waitress came to take their orders. They made it through the meal without much incident, and once it was over they paid and made their exit. Provenza and Fiona wanted to go dancing, and so they ended up at an oldies club Provenza knew. Flynn wondered what fresh hell he was in. Sarah was nice enough, but Provenza was fast getting on Flynn's nerves. He just wanted to go home.

Once inside, Flynn and Sarah took seats at a table, while the other two took to the dance floor.

"You know, Andy, you don't seem like such a bad guy. But I do have to ask you, who's this girl you seem hung up on?" Sarah was blunt.

"What? I'm not hung up on anyone!" Flynn declared.

"You're kidding yourself. I could see it in your eyes when you were talking about your Chief. Is she the one? It's okay if you are, I realize this isn't going to go anywhere." Sarah gave a little smile.

Flynn shifted uncomfortably. How did someone he just met be able to read him better than someone he'd known for years?

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Provenza doesn't think this is a good thing. He thought I should get out, get away from her. We were suppose to go out to dinner tonight. It's a regular thing between us. Provenza scheduled this date so we couldn't." Flynn looked dejected. "And now, the Chief is upset. And not just with Provenza."

"Well, that wasn't very nice of him. Is he always like this?"

"He means well, but he can't help himself. He thinks he's fixing things."

"Why do you call him Provenza? I thought his name was Louis."

"He's forbid me to use his given name. Under threat of castration. So, it's Provenza."

Sarah burst out laughing at that. "Well, he sounds like a high maintenance friend. But then so is Fiona. She doesn't know it yet, I have started dating. Only trouble, I have the same problem as you. It's with a guy that I'm not ready to let her know about. He's the gym teacher at the school, and she used to have a crush on him. I'm just not ready to tell her yet. I love her like a sister, and don't want to hurt her."

"So, we make a fine pair. Both of us are controlled by our friends expectations."

Sarah looked thoughtful for a minute. "You know, I have an idea that may help us both out and get both of them off our backs."

Flynn eyed her, sceptical. " How much trouble are you aiming to get me into?"

"Well, hopefully it will get both of them off our backs. What do you say we pretend we've really hit it off? I mean, we've hit it off, but I think we both know it's not going anywhere. But we pretend that it's something more, and these two get off our cases. You go back to your Chief, I go to my Steven. Simple, right?"

Flynn thought it sounded deceptively simple. Lord knows things always went wrong for him. "I suppose it could work. Can we make it believable?"

"Only one way to know. Let's dance, shall we?" Sarah tugged at his hand, leading him to the dance floor. Provenza noticed right away and gave Flynn the thumbs up. Flynn just rolled his eyes.

Sarah did a convincing job of pretending to be nuts about him. Flynn almost believed it himself. Provenza was buying it, at least. Flynn almost sighed with relief. He danced with Sarah, not too closely, he tried to stay away from her. There really was only one woman he wanted in his arms.

They danced for awhile, and Flynn realized he just wanted to go home. Now that Provenza was seemingly off his back, he excused himself and offered Sarah a lift home, just to keep up the charade. She accepted, and they left two satisfied friends in their wake.

At the car, Sarah chuckled, glad it had worked out. "Well, that didn't take too much to convince them. I didn't even have to kiss you."

"Yeah, it's probably for the better you didn't. But you did an admirable job of throwing yourself at me, so I think we're good."

She gave him directions to her place, and Flynn dropped her off shortly. She shook his hand, saying goodbye. Before she headed in, he thanked her for helping him out. With a final wave, he headed home.

Fifteen minutes later, he was pulling into his driveway. In the dark, he was surprised by the small blonde woman waiting on his steps, her head being held in her hands.

"What took you so long?" was all Brenda could say. She didn't move from where she was sitting. She'd been there a long time, the cold seeping into her.

"Provenza decided we should go dancing afterwards." Flynn admitted.

"Did you like your "date"? I suppose this woman was all over you." she said bitterly.

"It wasn't a real date. Really. I promise you, nothing happened between me and this woman. Sarah knows it wouldn't have gone anywhere. Apparently, I'm an open book and hung up on another girl. Not that I would know who that was. " he tried to joke with her. She wasn't ready for it.

"Sarah? Is that this woman's name? Do you know I've been worrying all night? That you might like this blind date better than me, decide you don't want to be with me anymore. That I was just one of those things that happen. That we were just one of those things that happen."

Flynn sat down on the steps beside Brenda. "You will never be "just one of those things". I've waited too long to be with you to screw it up with one of Provenza's plans. I told you, I would do whatever it takes to be with you."

Brenda was still upset, bothered more than she understood about Flynn having gone on a pretend date. It bothered her more that she was bothered about it.

"It's getting cold out here. How about we go in? I'll put some coffee on." Andy hoped she hadn't been out there too long, but when he took her hand, hoping to convince her to go in, it was ice cold.

Brenda looked at his hand holding hers and consented to being pulled up by him. He grabbed her purse off the steps and held on to her hand, walking towards the door. As he unlocked it to let themselves in, she pulled her hand away from his. She put her hand out to stop him from walking in.

"Tell me you won't go out with her again. I can't stand the thought of you being out with someone else. I don't care if it was a fake date or not." She looked up at him, not understanding the way she felt.

"I won't go out with anyone else. I promise. Even a fake date. But you're going to have to help me get Provenza off our backs." Flynn grabbed her hand and pulled her into his living room, closing the door behind them.

Andy put her purse down on the chair and then turned and pulled her into his arms.

"What's happening to us, Andy? Everything is happening so fast between us. It scares me." Brenda muttered into his chest, hiding her face.

"I don't know. Whatever it is, I want to see it through, that much I know. It scares me too. I haven't been close to a woman in a long time." She fit into his arms like she'd always had been meant to be there. He knew now, more than ever, that she was the one he wanted in his arms, no other.

"I have very strong feelings for you. Very strong. It scares me. I never thought I'd ever feel this way about anyone else. And it's too soon, way too soon." Brenda went on.

"You worry too much. Way too much. It doesn't matter if it's been a week or months. We've known each other for years, that's bound to count for something. It's not like we just met on a blind date." Andy attempted to reassure her, and himself.

For the first time since telling her what Provenza had planned for him, Brenda looked up at him and smiled. "You're not just saying that?"

"I'm not just saying that. Look, I know I'm a bit of a screw up with things. But I would never do anything to screw this up."

Brenda finally relaxed, although she still worried, she decided to take Andy at his word.

"How about that coffee? Do you still want some?" Andy asked her.

Brenda gave a huge yawn though, her tiredness betraying her. "No, I think I just want to go home to bed. It's been a very long day."

"You could stay here tonight. I can behave myself, you know. Just sleep." Andy just held on to her.

"I don't have a change of clothes."

"So, leave early in the morning. You can wear one of my t-shirts to bed."

Brenda found the idea appealing. "If I say yes, will we only sleep tonight?" As much as she'd admitted to having strong feeling for Andy, she wasn't in the mood to do anything other than sleep.

"Scout's honour. I will leave you alone." Andy promised.

"Get me a t-shirt then." Brenda replied.

"Yes, ma'am." He turned from her, heading to his bedroom to find her something to wear.

Brenda looked around the living room again, shrugging off her coat. The last time she'd been there was the night she'd come to finish what she'd started. She wandered over to some pictures that Andy had on the wall, seeing a few of him and an older woman. It showed him when he was much younger, black hair, but still the same Flynn. The woman in the photos bore a strong resemblance to him, and she surmised that that was his mother. He never talked about his family, and she wondered about them.

"I have an LAPD one. It should be long enough to keep you covered in the right places." Andy smiled as he walked back into the room.

Brenda took the shirt that he proffered, and asked him where his washroom was. She hadn't exactly investigated the interior last time. It was down the hall, to the right. She excused herself and left him standing there. In the washroom, she changed quickly into the shirt. She took the time to look at herself in the mirror, seeing the strain that had worried her all day. She realized she'd been jealous of this woman that Flynn had gone out with. That scared her, that she had been jealous over Flynn. It meant she thought of him as something more serious than just a fling. Realizing she had no toothbrush, she used her finger. It wasn't a great solution, but it was better than nothing. As serious as she felt about Flynn, they hadn't even reached the stage where they kept stuff at each others place. Her emotions were far ahead of what had evolved in their relationship so far. Sighing, she opened the door and shut off the light.

Brenda walked down the hall, remembering where his bedroom was. While she'd been gone, he'd changed into a t-shirt and bottoms. When she came into his bedroom, she smiled shyly. She wondered why she was so nervous, he'd seen her in far less than the t-shirt she currently wore. He looked at her legs and gave a wolf whistle. God, he loved those legs.

He came up to her and hugged her again. "I'll be right back. I just have to brush my teeth."

Brenda slipped into the bed, trying to get comfortable. She hadn't stayed overnight, the whole night, in a different bed other than her own, in a long time. She felt out of her comfort zone. Andy wasn't very long and he slipped into bed beside her, pulling her to him. Brenda felt herself relaxing into his arms, slipping into a sleep relatively fast. Andy, however, wasn't as fortunate. He hugged Brenda closer, scared that this moment wasn't going to last, that he was going to lose what he'd waited so long for. It occurred to him that he wasn't the same Andy Flynn as a few years ago, one who would use any woman to get what he wanted. He'd found what he wanted and he was scared that it was going to vanish. And worse, he had a bad feeling that tonight would come back to haunt him.


	16. Chapter 16

Andy woke in the morning and was relieved to find that Brenda was still there. She'd curled up in a ball over by the edge of the bed, so he brought her back to him. She mumbled in her sleep, but he couldn't make it out. He wondered when he'd turned into such a sappy man. This was not like him. When he was with a woman, he usually was the one in charge. Brenda made him lose all sense of that. He was afraid of making the wrong step, of doing something wrong, and her disappearing from his life. He hated to say this was the "l" word, but he hadn't felt like this with a woman in a very long time.

After laying there with her in his arms for a while, he slowly got out of bed and readied for the day. After showering, he dressed in one of his suits, before going to the kitchen. He decided to make her breakfast, in an attempt to make up for missing their dinner out. He really did feel bad about that, but Provenza had left him no choice. He seemed to remember Gabriel complaining about Brenda stealing his french toast once, so he went with that choice.

Brenda started to stir in her sleep, she smelled something delicious that had awoken her. She blinked her eyes, startled to realize she was not in her own bed. It was a little weird for her, simply because she hadn't allowed herself to spend the night at many men's places. When she was in a relationship, she usually preferred to be in her own bed. Now, she'd been in his bed twice. She looked down to see what she was wearing, seeing the LAPD shirt that was quite large on her. She remembered now, and shook her head to clear it. Had she really had a meltdown over him going on a "pretend" date? She felt silly now. She slipped out of his bed, pausing to turn around and make it for him. And finally, the smell of something wonderful lured her out of the bedroom, and she searched her way through the house, looking for the kitchen.

"That smells delicious. I didn't know you could cook, Andy." Brenda said, once she wandered into the kitchen.

"Eh, I'm a bachelor, Chief. Had to learn how to cook a long time ago. I do get sick of my own cooking every once in a while. That's why I love going out to our restaurant. Besides, I owe you a meal, since we missed last night." He flipped a piece of french toast at that point.

Brenda came up behind him at the stove and wrapped her arms around him. She rested her head on his back, listening to his heart beat and gentle breathing. She could hear his heart racing, liking the effect she had on him.

Andy busied himself with the french toast, dishing some out on to a plate he had at the ready. He put the plate down, turned and pulled her to him. He gave her a morning kiss. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good, you have a very comfortable bed." Brenda replied.

Flynn handed her a plate of french toast, before turning and dishing his own out. They sat at his table then, and had breakfast. Brenda was feeling awkward this morning, and didn't know why. He had the advantage of being in his own home and already being dressed for work, while she sat in his kitchen wearing his shirt. She also was surprised to find that the french toast was quite delicious. At least one of them could cook, she supposed. She certainly knew she wasn't great at it.

Finishing it up, she looked at the time, surprised to see it was getting on. She had to go home, shower and change yet. And here he sat, all ready for work. Getting up, she went and sat on his lap, kissing him.

"Thank you for this. It was delicious." Brenda said, breaking the kiss.

Andy groaned. Brenda sitting in his lap, with only his t-shirt covering her was doing things to him. He wanted nothing more than to take her back to bed. Instead, he said in a raspy voice "You're welcome." He kissed her again.

Again, Brenda broke the kiss. "I have to get going. I'm going to be late getting into the office as it is." And then she kissed him again.

Andy broke the kiss this time. "Well, if you got to go..." he trailed off.

"Yeah, I do." Reluctantly, Brenda stood up and left him. He pulled her back for one more kiss.

"We have to stop making a habit of this."

"Of what?" Flynn questioned.

"Managing to delay ourselves every morning. Now, I really do have to go." Brenda stood up, pulling down the t-shirt that had managed to wander up on her.

Andy gave her an appreciative look. "I don't mind the delays."

Brenda gave him a look, before wandering out of the kitchen, heading for the bathroom where she'd left her clothes. She quickly changed, needing to get going. Coming back out, she seen Flynn standing in the living room, looking troubled.

"Anything wrong?" Brenda questioned him. As soon as he heard her voice, a mask fell over his face and the look was gone.

"Only thing wrong is we have to go to work." Flynn looked at her, not really wanting to leave.

"Well, that may be, but we have work to do. I'll see you there." Brenda kissed him goodbye.

Andy didn't know what to make of her. One minute she was making him weak in the knees, the next, it was like a bucket of cold water was being poured over him. She really could turn it on and off.

"Sure thing, Chief. See you there." He pulled her in for one last kiss. He couldn't get enough of those lips.

Finally, Brenda exited his house and climbed into her car. She took a quick glance in her mirror, noticing the swelled lips and redness in her cheeks. If she hadn't broken away, she was sure she would be much later for work than she currently was going to be. Her look wasn't anything that couldn't be hidden with makeup, but she looked like she'd been thoroughly kissed. She started the car and began the drive home.

Getting there, she let herself in, hearing the persistent meowing of Joel. He apparently did not appreciate being left alone for such a long period of time and was voicing his displeasure. Brenda went to the kitchen and poured him some food, then headed to the shower. It didn't take long and she was ready to head out the door. She'd blow dried her hair, and chose one of her flowery dresses for the day. To finish it off, she'd grabbed her red sweater. Finally, she was ready.

Getting to work, she was almost in the door of Major Crimes when she'd stopped to put on her high heels. She hadn't stopped downstairs, and put down her bag to make the change. She heard Provenza's voice loudly razzing Flynn, talking about the previous night.

"You should have seen it, Sanchez, this woman was all over Flynn last night! He almost had to beat her off with a stick!" Provenza crowed.

Brenda felt sick, listening to that. What had happened last night? Andy had said nothing had happened.

She heard Provenza start talking again, and remained where she'd knelt taking off her runners.

"So, Flynn, did you get lucky last night? What happened when you took her home?"

"Nothing happened, Provenza, nothing. I dropped her off, that was it." Flynn sounded pissy.

"Right, Flynn, right. The way she was all over you, there is no way you'd turn that down. I'm surprised she didn't have her tongue down your throat. You two looked awfully chummy when you went out the door." Provenza went on.

Brenda straightened up, an anger overtaking her. She believed Andy when he said nothing had happened, that the woman he'd been with had put on an act to make Provenza believe they were into one another. Apparently, it had worked, perhaps too well. Throwing her bag over her shoulder, she entered the room, fire in her eyes. Conversation stopped as the team recognized the look on her face, one that meant something bad was coming.

"Perhaps we should all get to work and forget about Flynn's lovelife for now, Lt. I, for one, do not want to hear about some woman who may or may not have had her tongue shoved down his throat. If you think you can abandon that line of thought, maybe we could get some work done. Speaking of which, next time you skip out early and leave someone else with your work, you get to do everyone else on the teams. Now, where are we with the case?" Brenda had a no nonsense look in her face.

Flynn looked down, caught between two opposing forces in his life. Brenda had won this round, he could see, but he doubted Provenza would give up that easily. He was saved from any more thoughts by Tao speaking up, informing Brenda that the phone dumps on the vic had produced a potential lead, one that they hadn't considered. Brenda assigned Gabriel and Sanchez to go find this new lead, bring him in for questioning. She thanked Tao for finding the lead, gave Provenza one more dirty look and gave a brief smile to Flynn as she walked by. She then secured herself in her office, locked away from everyone with her blinds still closed from yesterday.

Brenda released her breath, feeling like she'd been holding it for awhile. She listened to the release of air, keeping herself calm. Where she'd irrationally felt like crying when she'd first overheard Provenza, she realized that wouldn't have done her any good. She believed Flynn when he said that nothing had happened. She didn't know why, but she had a deep-seated feeling he would do nothing to hurt her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Provenza coming in her door. She was surprised he'd come in, and wondered why. It certainly wasn't to talk about the case, she didn't think.

"Chief, you have a moment? I'd like to speak to you for a sec." Provenza asked, eying her.

"What's on your mind, Lt.?" Brenda asked, wondering what he wanted.

"Listen, I know you and Flynn have become quite close in the last few months. And I know that you're just friends, but some days, I get the feeling that you are heading to becoming more than just friends. And this office doesn't need that." Provenza at least had the sense to look downward.

Brenda gave a sharp intake of breath, irritated with the man sitting in front of her.

"Lt., I don't believe that any relationship that I have with Lt. Flynn is any of your concern. Yes, we're good friends, but we have no intention of going beyond that. And if it did, I assure you, it would not affect in any way, shape or form the work in this office does. Do I make myself clear?" she said in a particular tone that indicated she was pissed.

"Well, that's the same thing Daniels and Gabriel said, and look how that turned out. All I'm saying is, Flynn has been soft on you for awhile. He's going to get hurt, no matter how you try to let him down easy. And you will eventually let him down." Provenza stumbled on.

"How would you know I would let him down? And what business is it of yours anyway?" Brenda was miffed.

"You really aren't his type, you know? You're a classy lady. Flynn, he travels in a lower circle. Ones that aren't quite so high maintenance as you. Sure, he's doing all the right things now, but one day, he won't be able to anymore. You'll get upset, drive him away, and he's left shattered. Why do that when you can prevent it?"

"Lt., I can assure you I will never drive Lt. Flynn away. We are good friends, I rely on him quite a lot, as I guess you all can see. I won't hurt him. But that's supposing a relationship beyond friends. Which we don't have." Brenda lied partially. He didn't need to know anything else.

"Look, I'm not trying to screw with your friendship, but I don't think you have any idea what you're getting in to. Flynn, your friend and confidant right now, is the one who tried to get rid of you when you first started here. He's the one who let the papers know about your ethics review in Atlanta. How do you know he's changed his spots?" Provenza was grasping at straws and deliberately let that info slip.

Brenda looked stunned, not happy with that little bit of knowledge. Holding on to what little composure she had left, she replied. "This conversation is over. If you want us to maintain any semblance of friendship, you will walk out of here, return to your desk and forget this conversation ever happened. I'm through talking about this. It's none of yours or anyone else's business what I do with Flynn. And telling me that he betrayed me seven years ago is water under the bridge. He did what he did. He hated me. I hated him. We got over it, we're friends now. Perhaps unconventional friends, but friends none the less. He's made his amends. And whether you believe it or not, he's changed. I think he has, and he's a great guy. Maybe you should revise your opinion of him, too."

"Keep telling yourself that, Chief. And when this ends with one of you working in another department, I won't say I told you so." Provenza got up, leaving a very shaken Brenda sitting there, angrier than she'd been in quite a while.


	17. Chapter 17

Brenda spent the rest of the day being perfunctory, just wanting to get through the day without causing any more drama with Provenza. She'd been taken aback by what he said, stunned that he thought she would hurt Flynn in some way. She tried to examine how she felt about Flynn and the situation they were in. It hadn't even been a week since their relationship had changed, physically, but she realized she'd been coming to depend on him for months. In the early days, right after Fritz had left, he'd been the one who'd offered to be there if she'd wanted to talk. He'd slowly slipped into her life in a way she had never, ever thought he would.

Brenda also reflected on what Provenza had said, that Flynn had been the one to betray her to the press and cause her so much grief her first few months here. She'd always suspected Taylor or him, but to have it confirmed that it was Flynn hurt. Could she ever really let herself be emotionally involved with someone who would use information against her? What if they fought and broke up? Would he destroy her by going to Internal Affairs, outing her for their affair? She really did think he'd changed though. He wasn't the same man as seven years ago. She'd changed, he'd changed. She had to believe that he would never hurt her.

She got back to working on the case, trying to ignore the worried looks that Flynn kept giving her through her window. She could tell that he wanted to know what Provenza had come in about, but she couldn't tell him that she now knew about that long ago betrayal. She kept her head down, concentrating on the casefile in front of her. She could not allow confusion over her feelings for him to interfere with this investigation. So, Brenda did what she did best, she threw herself into the work.

Flynn, on the other hand, could not concentrate. Brenda was ignoring him, Provenza kept looking at him, a questioning look on his face and he wanted to do nothing more than go in and find out what was going on. The day seemed to go on interminably, and he just wanted to get Brenda alone and find out where they stood. Thanks to Provenza, he had a feeling that something was wrong between the two of them. He chewed on his toothpick, trying to work but failing miserably. He watched as Brenda decided to revisit the crime scene, choosing Gabriel to accompany her. He felt abandoned and he didn't know why. Watching her walk out the door with Gabriel, Flynn felt fear float through him, afraid he'd never see her again. He tried to reason to himself that it was illogical, that of course he would see her again, but he felt as if he'd lost control of everything. Nothing was the same, even though just that morning, she'd been in his lap, kissing him.

Flynn finally escaped the office, as soon as he could. Brenda hadn't returned yet, and he had to get away from Provenza. He managed to escape, fleeing, actually. He drove around, aimless, and eventually found himself at Brenda's door. Her car wasn't there yet, so he pulled a page out of her book, sitting on her front steps, waiting for her to come home. She finally arrived about a half hour after he'd been sitting there.

Brenda was taken aback by Andy sitting on her steps, a replay of her doing the exact same thing last night. She panicked slightly. She'd been avoiding him since Provenza had come into her office, stating that she'd end up hurting him. And then she realized, she probably was hurting him, just by avoiding him. She grabbed her purse and got out of her car, trying to act more confident than she felt.

"What are you doing here? Aren't we all suppose to meet everyone after work tonight?"

"Well, I don't really know. I don't know anything anymore. All I really do know is, I had a girlfriend before I went to work this morning, and now, I don't even know if I have that." Anger crept into his voice. He really had no idea where he stood with her.

"Let's not talk about this out here. I do have neighbours, and I really don't want to be a topic of conversation." Brenda got out her house key, making a move to open the door.

"Well, of course not, it would be a sin if anyone found out about us, now wouldn't it?" Andy sneered.

"That's not fair, and you know it, Lt. Flynn! We agreed that no one was to know, you agreed to that!" Brenda whirled on him, once they were in the door.

"I know I did. Which would be fine, if I could even tell where I stand with you. One minute, you are all over me, the next, it's like a bucket of water has been thrown on me. You change faster than I can, I can't keep up. What do you want, Brenda? Cause I don't know. You haven't talked to me all day, since Provenza went to talk to you. What did he say?" Andy was upset, he knew it had to do with whatever had been said in that office.

Brenda hesitated. Provenza and Flynn were good friends. If she told Andy, she didn't know if he would take it well. But she also didn't want to fight with him, she needed to figure things out.

"He says I'm going to end up hurting you. That you're behaving the way I want you to right now, and when you don't, I'll leave you. That you'll end up hurt because I walk away." Brenda put her bag on the couch, shrugging out of her trench coat. She felt drained and defeated. This was not suppose to be this hard.

"Since when is he the expert on relationships? Does he even know we're in a relationship, or is he just guessing? The only way you're hurting me right now is by walking away and not talking to me. Just talk to me, Brenda!" Andy said, his voice raised.

"Andy, I don't know what it is you want from me. I'm not good at this, this relationship thing. He doesn't know about us, he's just guessing. Good God, I drove my husband away from me by not doing what he wanted. Why did I ever think this would work with you!" Brenda was exasperated.

"Maybe because I understand you better than anyone else, including your goddamn ex-husband. I'm not trying to change you, I just don't want to be shut out. Because I don't know about how you feel, but everything this last few months, I just need to be with you so much. It's not what I ever wanted. Do you think I wanted to fall for you?"

"I know you didn't want to fall for me! I know you tried so hard to get rid of me when I first got here! I just never thought you were the one to leak to the papers about my ethics review back in Atlanta. So, if we don't work out, are you going to leak it again, saying a leopard can't change her spots?" Brenda spat out.

"I may have done that a long time ago. I already apologized for the way I behaved back then. But I'm also not the one who showed up at my door, in the middle of the night, in nothing but a trench coat. So, if I mean nothing to you, was I just a convenient lay? Or would any of your Lieutenants have done? Maybe Sgt. Gabriel, cause he's always been your favourite?. Or did you just choose me cause you knew you could have me and wouldn't have to try very hard?"

Brenda slapped Andy across his face, before she realized what she was doing. Andy looked at her, taking a step back, giving that half smirk and shaking his head before turning around and walking out. Brenda stood there, shocked by what she'd done, and then was flooded by emotions. She'd never meant to go that far, she felt worse than when she'd broken up with Fritz. She raced to the door, hoping that she could get to him before he drove away. Flinging it open, she almost ran straight into Andy's arms.

The two of them blurted out "I'm sorry's" Brenda starting to cry as he kissed her on the lips. She touched his cheek, which was red from her slap. "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry." Brenda sobbed.

"I shouldn't have said that about us. I know I wasn't a convenience. I know there is something more between us." He held a now sobbing Brenda in his arms.

Brenda turned her face up, kissing him several times on the lips, whispering "I'm sorry's" all the while. He clung to her, feeling like everything could have up and disappeared on them. He felt like a heel for having said that she would have slept with anyone.

"Our first fight, huh?" he said gently.

"Probably not our last." Brenda mumbled.

"Nope, probably not." Andy agreed.

They turned and went back into her apartment, her clutching on to him. What Provenza had said had really gotten under her skin, and it was like she had tried to make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, she clung on to what she had. She didn't want to lose Andy Flynn, a seeming impossibility.

Closing the door behind them, he pulled her back into his arms. Kissing her strongly, passionately, something more forceful than anything they had yet done. She threw herself into it, and realized her lips would be swollen and bruised at this rate. Tears gave way to passion, as they both threw themselves into this. She stood on tiptoe, kissing him back as hard as he was kissing her. He groaned. He wanted more. Andy leaned further in to deepen the kiss, grinding his body against hers. Andy pulled her body ever closer. He thanked God she was wearing a skirt today, he reached down, pulling it upwards, giving his hands access to what lay underneath.

Brenda squeaked as his hands pulled up her skirt. He gained easy access to her, and she started to moan as he worked his fingers. The only thing she could do was to hold on to his waist, as he kissed her. Her fingers squeezing his sides tightly, as he once again kissed her deeply, leaving her gasping for air. His fingers moved to the buttons on her blouse, and he began unbuttoning them, pushing the material aside, before running his tongue down her chest.

Andy's mouth claimed hers again, as she went to work on the buttons and zipper on his pants, letting them drop to his ankles. She worked on his boxers next, pushing them downwards with some difficulty. Finally, free of the clothing, he cupped her buttocks, pulling her upwards. She tightened around him, as he lifted her up and leaned her firmly against the wall to steady himself. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding his shoulders painfully as he thrust into her. He kept it powerful and deep, and their heavy breathing echoed throughout the apartment. His hand grasped hers, and raised it above her head, as he attacked her neck, sucking on the flesh til it reddened.

Brenda's head pressed against the wall and her mouth hung open as she breathed heavily. Her breathing matched his as he increased the pressure, slowing. Long, pounding thrusts as he had her. She lowered her head to his, continuing to kiss him forcefully. One of his hands kept hold of hers, while he placed the other under her buttock, as he continued to pound into her with his lasting strength and breath that remained in his body.

His head dropped to her chest as he gave one last thrust. She cried out with release and collapsed into his arms when he freed her hands. Their breathing was loud and heavy as they held each other. They stood there for awhile, both too weak to move. Finally, he lowered her, her feet touching the floor, her legs feeling like they were made of jelly. She'd never done that before, just letting herself being taken like that. She felt spent and in need of a shower. She lowered her skirt, too late for modesty, not when he'd taken her like that. He refused to let go of her, pulling her to him again.

"I'm sorry, I really am. Are we going to be able to make this work?" he questioned her.

"Andy, I'd like to think so. It's why I came after you, I didn't want you to go." They touched foreheads. "I never even went after Fritz like that, the day he walked out on me."

That filled Andy with happiness. It showed him that he really did mean something to her, more than she'd let on. They were still breathing heavily, their exertions having taken a lot out of them, after a stress-filled day.

"First fight, first make-up sex, which was amazing, by the way." Andy said to her.

Brenda didn't speak, just leaned against him for a few more moments. Finally, she said "I have to go shower. I told Sgt. Gabriel I'd meet them for drinks tonight. Are you coming with me?" She still felt unsteady.

"I have to go home and change. I'll meet you at the bar, okay?" Flynn would rather have taken her to her bed and replayed what they'd just done, but she'd promised Gabriel. They needed to act as if nothing was out of the ordinary with them.

"Um, yeah, sure. Don't be too long, okay? And Andy? I should have talked to you today, I shouldn't have just walked away and left you wondering. Don't be too angry with me, okay?" Brenda looked down, unable to meet his gaze now.

"I should have trusted you. And I'm sorry I said what I said. It was wrong of me. Please forgive me, Brenda." Andy whispered, feeling she could disappear on him.

In answer, Brenda kissed him once again, deeply. She was falling fast, the impossible having become possible in a shorter time than she had ever thought.


	18. Chapter 18

Brenda was happy to be done with work on Friday afternoon, rushing home to get her bags that were packed and waiting for her. For the last couple of months, Flynn and her had grown ever closer, and even managed to keep the watchful Provenza at bay. If he knew they were having a relationship, he never said anything, despite having voiced his protests on that day. Andy and her had managed to keep things professional at work, and not very professional in their after work life. And as a couple, they were going to take their first trip together, a couple of nights at a place not an hour or so away from Los Angeles, a hotel on the beach with an ocean view.

They had spent so much time hiding from the world, only rarely going out that they had decided to go somewhere they could walk hand in hand, escape from being discovered. That was the hope, anyhow. It was the off-season, so to speak, they'd gotten a great rate on the place and hoped to be able to just relax, if that was possible for Brenda. Andy knew she hated being away from the job, so a place close but not to close was the best option. And he was looking forward to it, probably moreso than she was.

Brenda threw a few last things in her suitcase, not knowing exactly what she would need. She found she always overpacked for these things, but she'd rather be prepared and have something with her than discover she was without an item later. She'd taken Joel to the vet's before work, boarding him for the weekend, she didn't feel right leaving him alone for so long. He was well taken care of there, and one less thing she'd have to worry about while she was gone.

She slipped into the shower, getting ready quickly for Flynn to come pick her up. They were taking his car. She felt excited about this, as if they were taking a step forward in their relationship. It was more than just a fling, and Brenda knew the time was coming where, even if she told no one else, she was going to have to tell her mother. And then there was the challenge of telling her father. They hadn't taken the news of her separation from Fritz really well. They'd liked him, and thought they might get grandchildren out of the deal, but Brenda couldn't be swayed on that point. Telling them that Fritz had left for Washington and that they weren't getting back together had left Brenda devastated once again, but she'd had to do it. Her mother had been making rumblings about another trip to California to visit, and Brenda couldn't very well hide the fact that her husband was no longer with her.

She shook thoughts of this from her head, conjuring up images of the nice beachfront hotel that her and Andy would be staying at. They'd booked a suite, with a private balcony with an ocean view. For all her time in California, Brenda had spent surprisingly little of it near a beach, so this was a nice change of pace, going with a man she had strong feelings for. Fritz and her had never done these little getaways very much, they'd tried, but work for one or both of them always interfered. The only thing Brenda feared was being called back early, this attempt at a normal relationship for her and Andy aborted.

Andy arrived not long after, he'd gone home to do what Brenda had done, get ready to go. He let himself into her place, and Brenda smiled when she saw him. She'd given him a key to her place about three weeks previously, another sign that their relationship was growing stronger. She looked him up and down, admiring the black leather jacket and jeans he'd chosen for the trip. He came up to her, giving her a hug, before reaching in for a kiss.

"You ready? I can't wait to get there." Andy said.

"Ready as I'll ever be. I think I packed too much." Brenda replied.

"You could go the whole weekend wearing nothing and I wouldn't mind." he said suggestively.

"I intend to walk on the beach, Lt. Flynn, and would rather not do so naked. I'm not an exhibitionist." she teased him.

In response, he kissed her again, before letting go, and grabbing her suitcase. It was heavy, but he had no problem with it. Brenda grabbed her purse and keys, opened the door for Flynn and locked it. He put her bag in the trunk alongside his and opened the door for her to get in. Settled in, they left their everyday worries behind, at least for a little while.

It didn't take very long to get there, traffic wasn't that heavy, and by 7:30 they were being shown to their suite. Flynn tipped the bellman, while Brenda wandered into the room, loving what she was looking at. The view of the ocean was magnificent, and she opened the balcony doors, going out. She breathed in the ocean air, listening to the waves crashing against the beach. Andy followed her out, wrapping his arms around her waist and they stood there like that for a long while.

"Do you want to go down for dinner? I'm starving, I don't know about you." Brenda finally broke the silence.

"You know, I could stay with you like this and never have to eat again." he whispered against her ear. A shiver coursed through her body, he had this affect on her all the time.

"I promise you, if we go for dinner, it will be worth your while afterwards. What do you say?" Brenda bargained.

"That sounds like something I can't refuse." Neither of them moved yet, Brenda leaning back against him, him resting his head on hers. They only relinquished their positions when Brenda's stomach growled, causing them both to laugh.

"I guess I have to feed you, don't I? Let's go then." Andy took her hand, leading her back into the bedroom. They unpacked a few things, before retreating to the bathroom and freshening up to go down to the hotel restaurant. They wandered down, hand in hand, and were quickly given a window seat that looked out upon the ocean. The place really was magnificent, and just what the two needed to forget everything.

Afterwards, they headed outdoors, taking a walk around the hotel grounds, heading down to the beachfront. The wind coming in from the ocean was refreshing, if a little on the cool side, and when Brenda shivered, Andy pulled her close to him, hoping to give her some warmth. They headed back inside shortly afterwards, where Brenda proceeded to make taking her to dinner very worthwhile for Andy. They lay in the darkness, except for the flames of the fireplace. The suite was worth it, between the ocean views and the well-appointed room.

"Do all of our activities revolve around being in bed?" Brenda asked,laying there listening to his heartbeat.

"Well, it _is_ something we're good at. And I haven't heard any complaints from you about me regarding this." Andy chuckled.

"There is nothing to complain about. You're very good at what you do." Brenda smiled, playing with his chest hair.

Andy kissed her then, pleased with her response to him. They remained like that, drifting off to sleep. They awakened early the next day, having a lazy morning, relieved they hadn't been called into work. That was actually a fear of Andy's, that the weekend would be over before it began. So far, it was working just fine. They had a buffet breakfast and decided to walk around once again, heading for the beach. Andy had brought his camera, and as they walked along the shore, he'd stop every so often to take pictures of Brenda.

"Why are you doing that? Why would you want to take a picture of me? I'm nothing special to look at!" Brenda objected.

"I'm taking a picture of a beautiful woman. No one would ever believe that she's mine. I need photographic proof. Ever here of that saying "pictures or it didn't happen?" he joked.

Brenda looked at him, amusement in her eyes, and something else. Andy felt that something was finally clicking between them, and the thought ran through his mind that he had fallen in love with her. This wasn't just sex, this was something else, and he continued taking her picture, hoping to catch that look in her eye again. He succeeded, and was happy with the pictures. They met an older couple walking down the beach, who offered to take a picture of the two of them together. Flynn wrapped his arms around Brenda, holding her close. She rested her head on his chest, and the woman took several pictures. Afterwards, Brenda excused herself to run up to the room and grab her sweater, leaving Flynn to talk with the couple on the beach.

"It's nice to see a couple so in love. Are you here on your honeymoon?" the lady asked him

Flynn didn't know what to say, how could the woman say that they were in love? They hadn't admitted anything to one another, but a complete stranger could see it? He finally answered, "No, not a honeymoon. But I do intend to ask her to marry me." It was a little white lie, but the woman was a stranger.

"Well, she loves you very much, you can see it when she looks at you. You're a very lucky man to have a woman who loves him. I wish you as much happiness as my husband and I have had." She clutched her husband's hand.

"Thanks for taking our picture. It's nice to have a souvenir of our trip."

The couple took leave of him, keeping up their walk along the surf, and Brenda returned shortly thereafter, wrapped in her favourite beige sweater that she'd had for years. Andy took her hand and they continued walking in the surf, just like Brenda wanted to do. He occasionally looked at her, wondering about the feelings that he'd finally realized for her. It wasn't just feeling strongly towards her, he _loved_ her. The realization scared him. He hadn't loved anyone in years. He wasn't even sure if he had really loved his last ex-wife, or whether he'd been afraid of being alone and convinced himself he'd loved her. It didn't matter, the marriage hadn't lasted long, and Flynn hid behind his sarcasm and bravado, not getting close to anyone again. And then Brenda had come along and burrowed into his heart.

Brenda caught the glances that Andy was giving her every once in awhile, and wondered why he looked at her that way. He definitely had a look in his eye that she couldn't quite place, but it made her feel very warm inside. Things were definitely changing between them. She really hoped it was for the better. They could have spent the whole day on the beach, puttering around, and for the most part, that is what they did. All in all, they relaxed and got to know each other even more than they already did. He discovered she really didn't like her picture being taken, but tolerated it for him. She discovered that he was a softie at heart, buying her flowers and loving taking pictures, not something she'd ever thought he'd like to do. He discovered that when relaxed, she really wasn't as intense as she always seemed. He'd just never had the opportunity to see her totally relaxed. She discovered that he was a romantic at heart, kissing her whenever the opportunity arose, which was often. All in all, he fell a little bit more in love all weekend, while she was starting to realize that her strong feelings for him were more than just feelings.

As they day wound down, they found themselves back in their room, making love once again. They'd ordered room service this time, holing up as their weekend together had went quickly. When they'd finished, she'd practically jumped him, eager to be with him after being so close to him all day. This time though, as they drifted off to sleep, Andy whispered to her.

"I love you, Brenda Leigh Johnson." he said it softly, needing to say the words, give voice to his recent discovery that he had indeed fallen in love with her. He didn't need to hear it back, not yet, but he needed to get it out. He'd fallen in love with this impossible woman and couldn't imagine being without her. He only hoped that one day, she'd be able to say it back to him, that she had fallen for him as hard as he'd fallen for her.


	19. Chapter 19

Sunday morning of the trip dawned bright and clear. They'd had excellent weather, and loved walking on the beach together, just holding hands. Brenda thought it was so like every other couple out there, as to be unoriginal, but she didn't care. Everybody else wasn't getting to hold hands with Flynn. Andy kept stealing glances at her, a questioning look in his eyes, but she didn't know what about. All she knew was that when she woke up this morning, he had been propped up on one elbow staring at her then. She'd smiled at him, happy he was there beside her. He kept looking at her though, as if he expected her to say something, but she didn't know what. This had followed through breakfast and when they decided to walk down the beach for awhile before reality would set in and they'd have to head home.

"Do you ever regret having taken our relationship further than friendship?" Andy asked her out of the blue.

Brenda looked at him, wondering why he would even think that. Did _he_ regret that their relationship had changed?

"No, I don't regret it. I thought I've made that clear on several occasions." Brenda said.

"Do you ever want us to be anything more? I mean, where do you see us going with this?" Flynn asked her.

"I haven't thought that far ahead, honestly. I see you being in my future for a very long time though. A very long time." Brenda wasn't comfortable with this discussion. She just wanted to be happy right now, not discuss the future.

Andy stopped to face her, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I see myself being with you a very long time too, Brenda."

Andy dropped the discussion then, satisfied for now. He had seen how uncomfortable she looked, like she was being pinned down to talk about it, and recognized the look from several times when her ex had been around. So, he changed tactics, grabbed her hand and walked down the beach with her again. She may not be sure of her feelings right now, but it didn't change the fact that he'd fallen in love with her. Whispering it to her in the night had given him a sense of peace for some reason, as if admitting it to himself was freeing. He wondered how long it would take her to realize the same. He'd looked at the pictures he'd taken of her walking along the beach yesterday, and was certain of one thing from looking at them. The look she'd given him in several of the shots showed that she loved him. Getting her to admit it, someday, that was the problem.

"You know, we don't have to check out for a few hours yet. What do you say we go make use of the room some more?" Brenda asked, changing the subject.

"That sounds like a very good idea." This time he kissed her on the lips, as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

Brenda thought that his kisses literally took her breath away. She loved the way he kissed, she'd found. He could go from being so gentle and easy to fiery and passionate within seconds. She liked it. They headed for the hotel, intending to make good use of what was left of their time at the hotel. They walked quickly through the lobby, reaching the elevator, wishing it would hurry to their floor. They exited out on their floor, walking to their room. Unlocking the door, they entered the room where he whirled her around, kissing her, pushing her up against the wall.

The need between them was urgent, and they made their way to the bedroom. However, that was as far as they got. Brenda's phone started ringing.. They stopped kissing long enough to give each other a look of regret. They had no idea how they'd ever made it this far in a weekend together without getting a call from Major Crimes. Brenda grabbed her phone, answering it, while Andy wrapped his arms around her from behind, gently kissing her neck. Although welcomed, it was distracting to Brenda. Sighing, she heard Gabriel's voice and regretted his sense of timing.

"Hey, Chief, we've got a case. Do you want me to come pick you up?" Gabriel asked.

"What's the case, Sgt.?" Brenda asked, exasperated.

"University student, daughter of Councilwoman Vincent, has turned up dead. Chief Delk wants us on the case, this is a priority. We're on campus right now. I can pick you up in twenty minutes, if you want."

"Sgt., I'm not at home. I can't get there for at least an hour and a half, at least. I will be there as soon as I can. What's the address?" Brenda said.

Gabriel gave her the address, and Brenda jotted it down on the hotel stationary. She promised she'd be there as soon as she could, which wasn't saying much. She told him to put Provenza in charge for now, they could catch her up when she arrived. Hanging up, she sighed. Andy and hers' first weekend was officially over. He'd listened to the conversation, feeling let down, but understanding about where her priorities now lay. She was needed on the job, and would have to get there as soon as possible. The problem he foresaw was explaining why he was the one bringing her to the crime scene and avoiding a possible interrogation from Provenza about their dual arrival.

He continued holding her for a couple of minutes, just savouring touching her. She finally, reluctantly pulled away from him, grabbing her suitcase and started throwing things into it. This wonderful getaway was over for them, abruptly shortened by duty calling her. He grabbed his suitcase and was soon packed as well. Not exactly the way he'd intended the vacation to end, but it had ended nonetheless.

After a final, lingering kiss, they left the hotel room. The quickly checked out and were heading back to Los Angeles and reality.

"Listen, Andy, drop me at home, I'll take my car to the crime scene. I'm going to tell them that I gave you the weekend off, that you weren't on call. Then they can't get on your case for not being there. They are going to call you eventually, I want you to ignore the call, let it go to voicemail. That way, later, I can give you a plausible excuse." Brenda rationalized.

"Now, wait a minute. I have no problem walking into that crime scene with you. I can certainly act like I haven't seen you since Friday!" Andy argued.

"Andy, it's just how can we both justify being so late to the crime scene? I tell you what, if you want to come to the crime scene, give it a couple of hours. Come later, it will seem like you were further away and it took time to get back. Please?" Brenda pleaded.

Andy looked at her, seeing how desperate she was to keep things between them still hidden. It saddened him, but at the same time, it was the deal he'd struck in order to be with her. He caved. He always seemed to when it came to her.

"Fine, fine, I'll come to the scene in a couple of hours."

"Thank you, Andy. It means a lot to me. And if you're very good, I'll make it up to you later on, when we're alone with each other again."

"To make up for our interrupted morning? Deal." Andy smiled then.

Grabbing her hand, he played with her palm, tracing a finger up and down it, making her smile. Things were good between them. She watched him drive, loving his profile and the occasional smile that he threw her way, along with a questioning look in his eyes as to why she kept smiling at him. It wasn't long before they pulled into her driveway and they got out of the car. He went to the trunk and got her bag out, carrying it to the door for her. She opened up and he brought the bag inside and set it down. He pulled her into one last kiss for the weekend and told her he'd see her at the scene, as soon as she deemed it safe for him to arrive. She locked the door after he left and changed into some clothes she deemed more appropriate to work in, and left the house. She fed Gabriel's address that he'd given her into her GPS and set off for the scene.

Pulling up, she seen police cars, got out and walked up to one of the officers standing at the crime scene tape. She showed her badge and he held up the crime scene tape, letting her through. She wandered down a hill towards where she could see her team. Gabriel seen her coming, waved to her and then headed over to give details of the crime so far as they knew.

"Hey, Chief. Vic is 21 year old Hayley Vincent. She's the daughter of Councilwoman Vincent, she's making a run for Lieutenant Governor. She was a favourite for it, too. Anyway, apparently the family has been the target of threats the last few weeks, and the thinking is someone made sure to carry out those threats. Provenza and Tao went and informed the family. They didn't take it well, they want answers and want them now. Delk's been hanging around the scene, this is going to be a high profile case." Gabriel explained.

"How long has she been deceased?" Brenda asked.

" Coroner's been here and estimates time of death between midnight and 2:00 a.m. Death appears to have been caused by being strangled, but autopsy will let us know for sure. Body was found at 8 this morning, by the groundskeeper here at the park. He was getting started on cleaning up around here when he came over the hill and there she was. He phoned the police and as soon as she was i.d'd, Delk came on scene. And he's not in a good mood. He's been waiting for you."

"I told you, I was away from here. I got here as soon as I could. I do have a life outside of Major Crimes, although sometimes it doesn't feel like it." Brenda muttered.

Screwing up her nerve, she went towards a disproving looking Delk. For the most part, their working relationship was fine, but as Chief of Police, he was always aware of things that would affect their department. And the fact that the councilwoman's family had been threatened and now, her daughter was dead, was not going to reflect well on the police department.

"Ah, Chief Johnson. So glad you could finally make it." Delk said to her.

"Sir, I explained to Sgt. Gabriel on the phone, I was away for the weekend. I got back as soon as I could. In less time than I told him, actually. I'm here, I'm ready to do my job. Now, what have we got so far?" Brenda stood there, not taking anything from him.

They got talking about the case, Brenda absorbing all the information she was being told. She reviewed the crime scene, looking around, taking it all in like she usually did. Finally, they packed up and went back to Major Crimes, Delk having authorized the overtime that was going to be needed to be put into this case. There, she set up the murder board, before going to where the autopsy had taken place to talk to the coroner.

He'd found out that while yes, she'd been strangled, she'd also been slipped a drug that had made her unconscious. She'd been knocked out and easy to strangle. Brenda sighed, this was bad. Obviously the drug hadn't been administered at crime scene, the place the body had been found was a dump site. So, now they needed to visit the home of the victim, find out where and what she'd been up to last night.

When she came back from autopsy, Flynn was sitting at his desk, Provenza had assigned him to find out where the vic had been last night. Tao was working on a phone dump, hoping to find a clue somewhere in there, to find out who she may have been in contact with, see if she got any threatening phonecalls. Brenda called for Gabriel and Sanchez to come to the victim's place with her, leaving the other three working in the murder room. They needed to get the place checked out, it could have been the scene of the crime for all they knew.

Brenda jimmied the lock and let themselves into the apartment. Splitting up, they checked out different rooms. Brenda looked around the place, it was huge. The girl was 21 years old and lived in a bigger place than Brenda did. She shook her head, continuing down the hallway towards what she could see was a bedroom. Letting herself in, she could see it was a mess. It had been torn apart, someone had been searching for something in there. What, they might never know, but Brenda proceeded with caution. She felt like she was on red alert. The place hadn't been cleared, it wasn't a crime scene, but something about the room made Brenda's arm hairs stand on end. She noticed a crumpled paper on the floor, and bent to pick it up. As she did so, the closet door opened in front of her, she fell backwards, startled. As the bat hit her, she cried out, and that was the last she remembered.


	20. Chapter 20

Brenda came to, eyes blinking in the dim light. Her head hurt horribly and she raised her hand to her forehead, feeling the bandage there. She couldn't remember what had happened, just that she hurt. She realized she was laying in a bed and someone was holding her other hand. Looking, she seen it was a sleeping Flynn. She sighed. Someone could see them. And for once, she realized, she didn't care. She squeezed his hand and he instantly woke up. Seeing those brown eyes staring at him, he smiled, relieved that she'd finally woken up.

The attack at the apartment had been swift, the perp thinking she was the only one there. When Gabriel and Sanchez had heard the Chief scream, they'd entered the room quickly, before the perp had a chance to escape. He'd been going to take another swing at the prone figure of the Chief on the floor, but the two arrived in time. They'd tackled the suspect, who fought back hard, almost injuring the two of them, but they inflicted some damage on him as well. Once he was cuffed, they'd seen that the Chief was down, injured, blood trickling from a wound on her head. They'd called for an ambulance, and while they took the suspect into custody, they'd told Flynn and Provenza what had happened. Provenza and Flynn had left for the hospital, while everyone else dealt with the suspect. Once at the hospital, Flynn had raced to find where she was, not caring at the looks Provenza had given him. Told that she was still being examined and to have a seat, Flynn had sat. Worry filled him, that he would lose her. Provenza caught up to him and sat down beside him.

"So, you really love her, don't you?" Provenza's voice was soft, not accusing, just supportive for the first time in what seemed like a very long time.

"Yeah, I do. It's not anything I ever intended to happen." Andy said, eyes studying the floor.

"You can't plan these things. It just happens sometimes. Just make sure you don't get hurt." Provenza put his hand on Andy's shoulder.

"Thanks. She won't hurt me, you know that, don't you? I'm more afraid of hurting her somehow."

"How long have you two been together?" Provenza just wanted to know, to see if he was right on when things changed between them.

"You'll have to ask her that. She wants things quiet between us. She's afraid if things are found out, one of us will have to transfer. So please, please don't let on to anyone about us. I just want to be with her." Andy pleaded.

"You need to calm yourself down then, act like your concerned about your Chief's welfare, not your girlfriend's then. I'll help cover for you, but you need to get your act together. Pope will probably be here soon, maybe Delk. I'll help with that, we'll get through this. And she'll be okay, I know she will be." Provenza tried to make his friend feel better, but doubted it was working.

"Thanks for that, Provenza." Flynn put his head back against the wall, closing his eyes.

They sat there, hoping the doctor's would come out soon, tell them she was okay. Time dragged seemingly forever before the emergency room doors opened and a nurse came over to them. Flynn and Provenza stood up, walking over to her.

"Are you here for Chief Johnson? Does she have any next of kin in Los Angeles?" the nurse asked them.

"I'm her fiance." Flynn lied smoothly.

"Well, then, the doctor would like to chat with you. He's in her room, she's been admitted to the hospital for overnight observation. Follow me, please."

The two men followed the nurse through the corridors of the hospital, riding the elevator to the 4th floor. She showed them the room and then left. They entered, hoping Brenda was okay. She was still unconscious, looking pale even against the white sheets. Her doctor turned to them, introduced himself, before talking.

"I'm Doctor Ford. Ms. Johnson here will be okay, by the looks of it. We've done some scans, brain activity appears normal, but we'll know more once she regains consciousness. She's very lucky there wasn't more serious damage than there was. He hit her quite a blow."

"How long will she be out for? I mean, how seriously is she injured?" Andy asked.

"She was awake briefly when we examined her, but she tried to fight us off. We had to sedate her, give her more time to recover. If things are well tomorrow, we'll release her. I recommend someone be there to look after her though, and she take a week off work. She needs to rest and not push herself too hard."

Provenza and Flynn exchanged glances. Getting her to take time off work was easier said than done. Even if there was nothing else wrong with her, Flynn would have to sit on her to keep her from working. And Flynn realized he'd be more than happy to look after her, but how to take the time off when they had a case and were a woman down? He didn't know how he was going to do it. But for her, he would.

"Can we stay here, in the room with her?" Flynn asked.

"Sure. It would be better if she woke up to a familiar face. She's probably going to have a lot of questions when she comes to again. Listen, do you know an Andy? She was asking for him when she was briefly conscious. She wanted him there."

"I'm Andy, Dr. Ford."

"Good, good. Just hold her hand and talk to her. It might bring her around quicker."

With that, the doctor shook their hands goodbye and walked out of the room. Andy pulled up a chair next to the bed, while Provenza took the one by the window. He gently took her hand in his, watching her face, hopeful that his touch would stir her. It didn't and he couldn't help but feel disappointed. Provenza watched from his seat, seeing for the first time how much Andy really did feel for the Chief. He could only hope the Chief returned the depth of those feelings. He sat for a few moments, but felt like he was intruding. He finally stood up, telling Flynn he was going to head back to work, see if they had the perp for the girls murder and not just for the attempted murder of the Chief.

Flynn stood up to say goodbye to Provenza, and the older man enveloped him in a hug. This was as close to a blessing of Brenda and Flynn's union as was going to happen, so Flynn welcomed it. Provenza left, leaving Flynn alone with Brenda again. He sat down again, taking her hand, holding it to his lips. She was so going to kill him for Provenza finding out. Still, if they could keep things from everyone else, they should be good. He thought how wonderful the day had started out, and now, it was almost a nightmare. He was scared that she was badly hurt, but the doctor seemed to think she was going to be okay. He was thankful for that. And when she awoke, he was going to tell her he loved her, not whispering it this time. He wanted her to know how he felt.

Sitting there, he thought over the last few years, how things had changed so much between them. Honestly, he'd wanted her over the years, but he knew his place. She was married, so he'd looked and enjoyed the view. Never, ever would he have thought he'd have this opportunity with her. Yet here he was, hopelessly, irretrievably, in love. She was no longer "the bitch who hated his guts", she was the woman he'd fallen in love with. His thoughts were interrupted by the door to the room opening, and he dropped her hand automatically, hoping whoever it was hadn't seen that. It was Pope and Delk, both arriving together.

"Lt. Flynn. How is she?" Pope asked, concern all over his face.

"She's out for now, Chief, doc says she's probably going to be okay. They have to wait for her to regain consciousness, do some tests on her, but they say things look good. They put her under to rest some more, she was fighting them when they were trying to look over her before." Flynn answered.

"Well, she's very lucky it wasn't more serious. Gabriel and Sanchez had a hell of a time bringing him down. Both of them, and he still fought them. They have him in the interrogation room right now, hopefully they'll get him to cop to the murder, too. As it is, attempted murder of a police officer is the least of it." Delk replied.

"Did he say why he attacked her, anything at all?" Flynn asked. He was glad he hadn't stayed back there, he would have taken the little creep apart with his bare hands.

"Nothing yet. He's lawyered up, and Provenza and Tao are going to take a shot at interrogation. I wish Chief Johnson hadn't been hurt, we really need her to get this guy to confess to the murder. He's not going anywhere, and he'll be cooling his heels for awhile at the lockup." Pope said.

"Do you need me back at headquarters? Chief Johnson really should have somebody here for her. She doesn't have any family out here, since her and her husband split." Andy said, hoping that they'd let him stay here.

"You stay, I think things are under control back there for now. Keep us informed on her condition." Delk and Pope left then, and Andy sat back down, taking her hand in his again.

Andy had no idea when he drifted off, he just knew the next thing that he felt was his hand being squeezed. He looked up into those brown eyes he loved.

"You love me." Brenda said, looking at him with a happy look in her eyes.

"Yeah, I do. How'd you figure it out?" Andy asked her.

"It came to me while I was unconscious, I guess. You said it to me last night, right when I was falling asleep. I thought I was dreaming. It's why you've been lookin' at me funny all day." Brenda grimaced, holding her head, a pain shot through it.

"What happened to me? How did I get here?" Brenda had no clue as what had happened.

"You were attacked at a crime scene, hit over the head. You have a bad concussion. In the hospital." Flynn said, stroking her fingers.

"Weren't we on vacation?" Brenda asked.

"We were. You got called in. Gabriel, Sanchez and you went to check out the vics apartment, you were attacked there." Flynn replied, kissing her hand.

"Oh. Well, when can I get out of here and get back to work?" Brenda asked.

"Hold on there. Doc says you're here for the night, under observation. And then, you can go home, but you're to take a week off." Andy smiled at her.

"A WEEK!" Brenda said, and immediately regretted it as pain shot through her head.

"Yes, a week. And you're taking it. I'm going to take care of you."

"And how are you going to manage that?" Brenda said.

"Well, the team is feeling very protective of you right now. And since the rest are busy with the case, Delk and Pope said I could stay here with you. Between Provenza and me, we'll be able to take care of you. Speaking of Provenza, he knows." Andy looked down.

"He knows about what? Us? Please tell me he doesn't know about us!" Brenda panicked a little.

"He knows about us. And he's okay with it. Apparently because even he can tell that I love you." Andy said softly.

Brenda looked at him, her face softening. He loved her. Andy Flynn, hard-boiled detective, ladies man, and at times, even she had to admit, kind of a jerk, loved her. And with that, Brenda realized something that had been creeping up on her for a long time. She loved him.

"Well, I suppose that's a good thing. Cause I'm pretty sure I love you too." Brenda said.

Andy stood up, leaning over her, giving her a kiss. "I'm so glad you're going to be okay. It scared me to death when they told me you'd been hurt." He kissed her again.

He sat down again, and Brenda closed her eyes once more. Tiredness overtook her and she drifted off to sleep, leaving one happy Andy Flynn holding her hand. He fell back asleep for a little while, but was kicked out of the hospital later on. Visiting hours were over, so he went home to sleep and pack a bag to stay at the Chief's house to look after her in the upcoming days.

The next day, Brenda was released from the hospital. After an initial argument with the doctor, Brenda caved and said she would take the week off from work. She didn't want to, but if she hadn't agreed he threatened to not release her from the hospital. Andy pushed the wheelchair out to the entrance, where he helped Brenda up and out the door, helping her into his car which was waiting there. On the way to her place, he stopped at the pharmacy to fill her prescription. Amazingly, she stayed seated in the car while he went in, proving to him that she wasn't feeling well yet, no matter how she'd tried to make the doctor believe she was okay. Then it was on to where she'd boarded Joel, already a day late in picking him up. Joel was not happy confined to his carrier, but the meowing stopped once he seen Brenda. Flynn put the carrier in the backseat and they started off once again.

Once that was over, he took her home. Helping her into the house and getting her settled on the couch, he ran back out to get his bag out of the trunk. When he came back in, he helped her to the shower, so she could clean up. She couldn't wash her hair yet, because of the stitches on her head, so he helped wash what she could. Wrapping her in a towel afterwards, he felt so protective of her. When she climbed into her flannel pyjamas, he felt even more so. Tucking her into bed, he went to make some soup up, to get some food into her. He puttered around the kitchen, getting some food ready for her. He thought back to when he'd called her so domestic and seducing her on the counter. Now, here he was, acting as her caregiver, and doing so happily.

Taking the soup into her on a tray, he sat down on the bed beside her. She ate it hungrily, having had very little in the last day. She didn't talk much after he took the tray away, and he settled in beside her, where she snuggled up against him. Her head hurt, and the meds made her tired. But with Andy there, she felt safe. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, and he followed suit soon after. He put the phone on silent, set it to go straight to the machine, in order for her to get some rest.

The next morning, he was up early, and decided to make her something more substantial for breakfast. He decided on french toast again, and as he was puttering around, making it, there was a knock on Brenda's front door. Thinking it was Provenza, he walked over to answer it. He was shocked to see who was standing there, and could only think of what Brenda would say when she woke up.


	21. Chapter 21

Andy stood, not knowing quite what to do. At the door stood Brenda's parents, Willie Rae and Clay Johnson. There he stood in his pyjama bottoms and grey t-shirt. He couldn't say who was more shocked at seeing the other, him or them. He quickly came to his senses, however, and stood back, opening the door wider for them to come in.

"Mr and Mrs Johnson! What a surprise!" Andy finally spoke.

"We could say the same thing, Lt. Flynn." Clay said in that no bullshit voice of his.

"Let me help you with your bags." Andy said, stepping out the door to where a taxi stood, the driver putting the bags onto the driveway. He grabbed the bags and went back into the house.

"How is Brenda? Is she okay? Chief Pope phoned us and told us she was hurt on the job, might need someone to look after her. Where is she?" Willie Rae soon voiced when he came back in.

"She's still sleeping, I was just making her some french toast. She hasn't ate much in the last day. I've been taking care of her." Andy admitted, setting the Johnson's bags by the door.

"Seems to me, you're more than just takin' care of her. Mind telling me why you're standing here in your pyjamas?" Clay questioned him.

"Because he's my boyfriend, daddy. Has been for a little while. Now leave poor Andy alone and come in." Brenda had appeared out of nowhere, surprised to hear her parents voices. There was no use hiding the fact that Andy and her were a couple, not from them anyway. Besides, him standing there in his pyjamas? How long would they accept that he was just staying over to look after her? Not long, if she knew her parents.

"Your boyfriend? Since when did this happen? Brenda!" Clay said.

"Daddy, I'm a single woman. I have a boyfriend. It's nothing to get excited about. All I ask is that you keep this to yourselves. I mean it." Brenda said, her mood not very good at the moment.

"Technically, you're still married Brenda Leigh. Even if he's off across the country." Clay argued some more.

"Daddy, if you're just going to be on my case about Fritz, you might as well go home. That's water under the bridge now, and there is no going back. We wanted different things, that's all. Now, come in, I'm sure Andy can make y'all some french toast and join us." Brenda took Andy's hand and walked him to the kitchen.

Andy was surprised that Brenda had handled the whole thing so well. He thought she'd freak out when she'd seen her parents. Instead, she'd taken it in stride, and defended their relationship to her father. That surprised him more than anything. It also made him feel very good that she'd at least admit to someone that they were a couple. Especially her parents.

The Johnsons took their coats off, and followed the two of them to the kitchen. Brenda poured them some coffee, placing the cups in front of them. Andy went and got her medication and made sure she took it, before starting work on some more french toast. He was more than happy to make them breakfast and hoped that they would accept that he was now part of Brenda's life in a more personal way than their previous relationship had been.

Clay and Willie Rae watched as Andy fussed over Brenda, making sure that she took her medication. They were amazed by how well Brenda took the fussing, that she accepted it. When Fritz had tried it in the past, she'd bristled. Now, she was much more relaxed, accepting of the coddling he was doing. And the fact that this was _Flynn_ that was doing the coddling? In their few brief meetings with him previously, they'd thought of him as hard-boiled and toughed. That he had this in him was a shock to them.

"How many slices would you like, Mrs. Johnson? I'll have them ready in no time. And you, Mr. Johnson?" Andy asked.

"Look, if you're with my daughter, you might as well call me Clay. Andy, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into with Brenda. She's a tough cookie." Clay said outright.

"I know you're daughter is tough, sir, but she's also one of the best people I've ever met. I'm honoured that she took me on. And I want you to know, I'll never do anything to hurt her. I love her." Andy blurted out.

Three pair of eyes looked at him, two of them in shock, one with a return look of love towards him. Andy made her happy, Brenda had discovered. He'd been right there in front of her all along, and it had taken forever for them to find their way to one another.

"Well, let me make one thing perfectly clear, Lt. Flynn. Never, ever treat my daughter like you did when you first met her. You have no idea how you hurt her when she first was out here. I trust you've apologized to her for your behaviour and lapse of judgement?" Clay grilled him.

"Believe me, sir, Clay, I've apologized many times to her for the way I acted. I'm grateful for the day she came here now. I've never met anyone like her." Andy replied.

The two women watched the conversation, heads going back and forth as the two men sparred comments. Both were proud of the men, how they were both trying to protect the woman they both loved. Brenda started to tear up.

Andy went back to the stove to flip the french toast for her parents. Willie Rae looked with concern at her daughter and patted her hand.

"Now, now, Brenda, I'm sure it will be all okay. How exactly did you get hurt anyway? Chief Pope wasn't into the details so much, he just said you'd been attacked on the job." Her mother waited patiently.

"I'm not too sure myself what happened, mama. I've been told I was attacked when the perp came out of a closet. He hit me with something hard, knocked me unconscious. Apparently he was going to finish me off, but Gabriel and Sanchez tackled him in time. I really don't remember much of the case or the attack." Brenda replied.

"So they at least have the idiot who did this to you behind bars. Thank god for that, Brenda Leigh. I've told you this job is dangerous." Clay responded.

"Now, Daddy, I'm fine. Or I will be fine. I've just got a headache yet. Andy's been takin' real good care of me." Brenda smiled in his direction.

"I'm sure he has, darlin', I'm sure he has." Clay said quietly.

Andy flipped the french toast on to plates for her parents and set it in front of them. The Johnson family settled into eat, while Andy sipped his coffee. He almost had to shake his head, the Johnson's, all three of them, were acting so normal. He hoped, however, that if any of Brenda's teammates came over, they would be able to keep quiet about Brenda and him. As well as she'd taken the fact that her parents had found out this way, he thought she'd seriously freak out if Pope or Delk found out. They finished breakfast in a comfortable silence, before they headed for the living room. Brenda curled up on the couch, Andy sat beside her and put his arm around her.

Clay and Willie Rae couldn't help but smile. Whatever problems they may have with this pairing, they couldn't deny that the two seemed to rely on each other very much. It was surprising, actually. Clay really wanted to know when this had started, had he been part of the reason Fritz and Brenda had split? He wanted to be happy that at least Brenda had someone looking after her, but he couldn't help but have misgivings. The man was a subordinate who worked for her. Workplace romances could be hell, especially if they didn't work out. Not to mention the trouble Brenda could get into for having a relationship with him. Then there was the fact that he was so much older than Brenda. He'd long ago given up on Brenda giving him any grandchildren, but with Fritz, there had been hope. Fritz had wanted children. Brenda, however, refused to budge on that matter. It wasn't in her nature, apparently. All he could do was sigh. He sure hoped his daughter knew what she'd gotten herself into.

After a time, Andy whispered to Brenda if she wanted to go lay down that she could, he'd take care of her parents. He followed her in to the bedroom, needing to get dressed for the day. He went to her bathroom after he settled her into the bed, and got dressed. When he came back through the bedroom, Brenda had already fallen back asleep, and he quietly went out the door, shutting it as he left. He joined her parents in the living room again.

Once there, Andy didn't have Brenda as a shield anymore. Clay started in on him again.

"So, what exactly are your intentions with my little girl, Lt. Flynn?" her father asked him.

"We've only been going out a few months, but I'll have you know, sir, I love your daughter. I can't see me without her. She means everything to me. I was scared to death I was going to lose her the other day." Andy said earnestly. He felt like he was in high school, meeting his prom dates father for the first time. Clay put Andy ill at ease, no matter how Flynn tried to shake the feeling.

"Did you have anything to do with Fritz and her's breakup? You weren't the cause of it, now were you?" Clay grilled him.

"No sir, I had nothing to do with it. The way I was told, he wanted to go back east, he got a promotion. Brenda didn't want to leave here. And when he was back east, he became involved with someone." Andy told them.

"Before or after you two started going out?"

"Before we started going out. We didn't start dating til after Brenda signed the divorce papers." Andy felt beads of sweat starting on his forehead. At least he knew now where Brenda got her interrogation skills from. She was exactly like her dad.

"Clay, that's enough. Just accept the fact that Andy and Brenda are now seeing each other. He's her boyfriend, not a suspect." Willie Rae interrupted him.

"Now, Andy, how's work been? How is that Lt. Provenza doing? He's such a nice fellow. Whatever happened between him and that nice girl he was dating?" Willie Rae changed the subject.

"Uh, they broke up, Mrs. Johnson. He was really broken up about it too. I think he may have actually loved her." Andy said.

"Now, call me Willie Rae, Andy. You're almost family now, we mustn't be so formal!" she smiled as she said it. "You really are a good cook. That's a good thing. Brenda Leigh isn't much for the kitchen, but she does try. At least I know you two won't starve."

"Well, I can cook a few things. And she loves my french toast. Did you like it? Do you want me to make more up?" Andy asked, hoping to have something to do.

"No, no, we're fine. Clay can't have too much of it, cause of his heart, but we do appreciate the offer. It was simply delicious."

"Thank you, Mrs. John-, I mean, Willie Rae."

Just then, Flynn's phone rang and he went to answer it. It was Provenza, he was being called in to work, Major Crimes needed the help.

"Mr. Johnson, Willie Rae, I'm sorry, I have to go. You need any help, just phone me. Thank you for being here for Brenda. Could you tell her where I've gone when she wakes up?" Andy really didn't want to leave, but being glared at by Brenda's father made him want to get out of the house for awhile. Work with Provenza would be a walk in the park, compared to time with the gruff older man.

"Why, of course, Andy, that's why we're here! Thank you for taking such good care of her. We'll see you tonight, right?" Willie Rae was nothing but courteous.

"Yes, I'll be back to stay tonight. I can't leave her alone right now. I have to make sure she's okay." Andy excused himself then, going back into the bedroom to change into a suit before he left.

Willie Rae and Clay exchanged glances, the man was head over heels for their daughter. They wondered if he knew how deep he'd fallen for her. And they wondered mostly whether their daughter had fallen to the same depths of love with him.


	22. Chapter 22

Brenda awoke a few hours later, the house was quiet. She crawled out of bed, wondering where Andy was, where her parents were. She found her parents in the living room watching tv, but didn't see Andy. She curled up beside her mom, laying her head on her mother's shoulder. Her head actually felt better.

"Mama, where's Andy? I thought he had the time off." Brenda said, not saying "to look after me", even though that's what she was thinking.

"He was called into work, apparently they're short-staffed on your squad. He asked us to stay and look after you." Her mother said.

"Ohhh, he should have woken me up! I could have gone in, there's nothing wrong with me, I can still work!" Brenda said, frustrated. She wanted to go back to work, not lay around in bed.

"Now, now, Brenda, you know it's for the best. You've had a serious head injury. Do not push it. Now, can I get you something to eat?" her mother asked.

"Yeah, mama, I would. Some pancakes would be nice." Brenda sat back, not sure if she was angry or disappointed. Logically, she knew she had to stay home and rest. Emotionally, she wanted to go back to work, finish this case she'd started and get on with her life. She'd never been able to just take time off, sit back and relax. She needed the job, it was a part of her. Doing nothing, it just wasn't natural.

Brenda watched as her mother got up and went to the kitchen, leaving Brenda alone with her father. She knew she was about to get interrogated.

"So, Brenda Leigh. Lt. Flynn? Really?" Clay asked her.

"Yes, really, Daddy. Do you have an objection to it?" Brenda countered.

"Well, yes, I do. He's one of your subordinates. You're his boss, for crying out loud. What if you break up? Don't you know anything about workplace romances?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. But he's nothing like Pope. He loves me, Daddy, and I love him."

"And what happens if you're bosses find out? Y'all are asking us to keep quiet about the two of you, you obviously don't want anyone to know about you, so tell me, how can you have a real relationship if you're worried someone is going to catch on all the time?" Clay looked at her with concern.

"Don't you think that is something I've worried about for months? It's not like I planned to fall in love with him. In fact, he's the last person I would have ever have guessed I'd be with. But I love him. It's not something I wanted after Fritz left, not at all. But it's too late." Brenda looked down.

"Aw, darling, it's obvious you love the man. It was just a surprise to find him at your door this morning. We had no clue you were involved with anyone, let alone Flynn. Your mama can usually tell when you have a man in your life." Clay smiled at her.

"Really? How? I never knew that!" Brenda looked up sharply.

"When you're involved with someone, you're happier. She can usually tell just by how you talk on the phone. But Flynn, she had no idea. So the question is, are you happy with him?"

Brenda sat back, thinking. Was she happy with Flynn? She thought so. He made her happy, had been for almost a year now, when they'd started out as friends, him helping her get over the breakup. Finally, she answered her father.

"Yes, Daddy, I'm happy with him. I never thought I'd be happy again after Fritz left. I chose my job over my husband. And I lost him. But Andy gets me. He knows how I love my job. But he also knows enough to get me away from it for awhile. Did I tell you we were on vacation when I got called back to work? I wish I'd ignored my phone and stayed there. I really liked the place we went." Brenda mused, doing a 180 emotionally from a few moments ago when she'd wanted to be at her job. She shook her head, what was the matter with her?

Clay sat there, dumbfounded. Did his daughter just admit that she'd wished she'd stayed on vacation? And ignore her job? He took another look at her. Maybe her head had been hit even harder than he'd thought.

"Do you realize what you just said, Brenda? That you'd wished you'd stayed away from your job. There might be hope for you yet!" he chuckled.

"Oh, Daddy! I mean, we had this beautiful place on the beach! It was gorgeous. We walked a lot while we were there. He picked a terrific place to go. I want to go back someday." Brenda smiled. Maybe she could change after all. Maybe it meant that Fritz hadn't been the love of her life after all. Maybe it was the rough around the edges Andrew Flynn that she'd never imagined being with.

"Clay, stop with the questions. Brenda, your pancakes are ready. Do you want to eat them in the living room? I'll bring them in if you want." her mama broke in, trying to rescue Brenda from Clay.

"I'll come to the kitchen, Mama. And Daddy? Yes, Andy makes me very happy. I just hope I make him happy, too." Brenda got up from the couch and padded into the kitchen, leaving her father to dwell on that.

Joel followed her, hoping for some kind of treat. Brenda put some food in the bowl and then sat down at the table. Pancakes in front of her, she dug in. Usually, she could eat a lot of her mama's cooking, but this time, she only made it through one before she called it quits. Her appetite really hadn't returned all that much, and she wasn't going to force herself. She pushed her plate away, and this made Willie Rae look at her with concern.

"You sure you're okay, Brenda Leigh? That's not like you." She said.

"I'm fine, Mama. Just no real appetite yet, I guess. I thought I was hungrier than I was. Plus, Daddy was questioning me about Andy, and it kind of worked me up. I don't know what I'm suppose to say. Yes, I know it's wrong to date someone I'm the boss of. But I can't stop. I love him. A lot." Brenda admitted.

Willie Rae looked at her daughter, gauging the deep feelings she seemed to have for Flynn. So, apparently Brenda Leigh did love Andy as much as he loved her. This made her feel better for the both of them. They were going to have a tough road ahead of them, and love would help them, that she felt for sure.

Brenda's phone chirped and she went to answer it. She smiled when she seen who it was, and walked towards her bedroom, hoping for a little privacy to talk to Andy.

"How did it go with my daddy this morning? Did you get the third degree?" Brenda asked, wondering if he'd had as intense a conversation as she had.

"Yeah, I got the third degree. But if someone like me was dating my daughter, I'd do the same thing." Andy chuckled.

"You aren't that bad, Andy, really. Anyway, what case are you on? I woke up and you weren't here. You could have woke me up, said goodbye." Brenda was a little miffed about that.

"Well, you needed the sleep. I'll make it up to when I come by and say hello. Anyway, I was just phoning to see how you are. I really didn't want to leave you, but we're short-staffed down here, and Provenza needed me."

"I could have come and helped. I feel useless sitting around here." Brenda complained.

"We've had this discussion. I'll sit on you myself to keep you at home if you try to come to work. Or I'll ask your father to do that." Flynn joked.

"Haha, very funny. Could you at least bring home a casefile? I could help just by going over it." Brenda pleaded.

"If you're very good, I might. I'll ask Provenza."

"Ask Provenza? Really? You wouldn't just do it for your girlfriend?" Brenda cajoled.

"Well, you see, I have this boss lady who might object. That we're trying not to mix work with our personal life. So, I'm going to have to go with a no on this one." Flynn replied.

Caught, Brenda had no choice but to wait for Andy to ask Provenza.

"Fine. If you want to make it up to me, bring chocolate home. I don't have much here in the house, and I really need some. The good stuff." Brenda asked.

"I'll stop by a convenience store and pick up some Hershey bars. Will that tide you over?" he asked.

"It's a start. Bring some peanut butter cups and kit kat bars too." Brenda pushed it.

"Alright. I better get going, Provenza will be looking for me again. I'm holed up in your office right now."

"Don't leave me alone with my daddy too long. I'm not sure I'll make it through another questioning." Brenda reflected on the earlier conversation.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." He lowered his voice then, not wanting anyone to hear him, even from the safety of Brenda's office. "I love you. I'll see you soon."

Brenda was touched by that, this was all new to her with him, something she'd never thought she'd hear from a man who used to think that love was only temporary.

. "I love you, too. See you when you get here." Brenda replied, smiling at her phone, missing the man who'd somehow become an important part of her life.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in this chapter. I've been in the hospital for part of this week, and am exhausted. I fear it isn't quite up to what I'd like this chapter to be, and hope you'll still enjoy it. As always, thanks for reading, I appreciate each and every review and comment you all leave me. Makes my day!**

Flynn came back to Brenda's place around seven, bringing Provenza with him. Luckily, Willie Rae had prepared a big meal, so there was plenty for everyone to eat. After the happy greetings between Willie Rae and Provenza, they all sat down to eat.

"So, Lt. Provenza, how come you came back with Flynn? Wanting to check up on our Brenda?" Clay asked.

"Well, we think highly of the Chief, Mr. Johnson, and I wanted to make sure she was getting along alright. She had quite a hit to the head the other day. We were all worried about her." Provenza answered.

"I'm fine, Lt. Still a little sore, but fine. Tired mostly. Did Flynn talk to you about bringing the casefile home? I want to do anything I can to help out on the case, seein' as you're short-handed. Anything I can do, seeing as I'm restricted to being here at home?" Brenda asked.

"Yes, Flynn mentioned something about you wanting to help out, I brought the casefile with us. It's in the car, I can get it after supper." Provenza smiled. There was no changing the Chief, not at all.

"Oh, I can go get it, Lt.!" Brenda started to get up, but when four pair of eyes stared at her, and Flynn put his hand on her arm, she slowly sat back down. "Well, I guess you can get it after supper then."

Flynn smiled. He knew how hard it was for Brenda to sit there and not run out the door to the car to grab the file. The evening passed quickly and pleasantly. With Provenza around, her parents spent more time talking and laughing with him then to questioning Brenda and Andy, who very much enjoyed the reprieve. Brenda was actually glad Provenza around, and as soon as dinner was over, she practically rushed him out the door to get the file. He returned to the house with it and she almost ripped it out of his hands.

Willie Rae just smiled and then calmly asked if everyone wanted some coffee, she'd make it and bring it to the living room. The others excused themselves to go sit, and Willie Rae began clearing the dinner dishes. Andy stayed to help her, not feeling right about leaving her to do it alone. Brenda was curled up on the couch already, reading over the file, leaving Clay and Provenza to talk amongst themselves.

"Dinner was terrific, Willie Rae." Andy said, pulling on gloves to wash the dishes.

"Why, thank you, Andy." She replied, picking up the first plate to dry.

An awkward silence came between them then, neither knowing what to say. Finally, Flynn broke it, commenting that it was nice to see Provenza getting on so well with everyone.

"How long has he known about you and my daughter, Andy? He didn't seem too surprised that you are looking after her, also."

"He's only known since Sunday, but he's suspected for a long time. Brenda is serious about keeping this quiet, and he's agreed. He was really worried about her the other day. He may have a tough exterior, but he's a big softie underneath." Andy replied.

"Oh, I know that, Lt." Willie Rae chuckled.

"Yeah, well, don't let him know that I caught on a long time ago. He might use it against me eventually." Andy laughed.

They quickly finished up, Willie Rae pouring the coffee and setting things on a tray to take to the living room. Bringing it in, they all enjoyed a cup before Provenza said he had to get going. As he said goodnight, Brenda thanked him for bringing the file, and surprisingly, Provenza turned and gave her a big hug.

"I'm really glad you're going to be okay, Chief. It wouldn't be the same without you around here." He hugged her tight, stressed from the last few days of having to run everything and worried about her well-being.

Brenda didn't object to the hug, taking it as a sign of affection from a friend, hoping that things would be normal between them now that he knew Flynn and hers secret. "Thank you, Lieutenant. If you need any help, just phone and I can help you from here. I'll give y'all any help you need. It will give me something to do while I "recover"."

"I'll probably take you up on that. This creep that attacked you still hasn't copped to the girl's murder on Sunday, but he's not going anywhere fast. He hasn't been able to make bail yet, so we've got him in custody still. Probably won't make bail, but you never know."

"Well, I'll keep up with the case, so when I come back, if he still hasn't admitted to anything, I'll be able to have a go at him. Now, you're not just focusing on him, right? You're looking into other leads?" Brenda quizzed him.

"Yes, Chief, we don't have blinders on. We're following up other leads, it's why we needed Flynn back. The girl had a lot of enemies for someone so young, not to mention her mother's enemies as well. We've got leads everywhere." Provenza looked frustrated.

"Well, I'm sure Lieutenant Flynn will keep me abreast of the situation. I'll help in any way I can."

"Thanks, Chief. Goodbye, everyone, it was great seeing you Willie Rae and Clay. Too bad something like this had to occur to get you into town again." Provenza shook their hands.

"Well, we would have come sooner, but Brenda has been so busy the last few months, it was no use coming. At least this way, she has to be in the same house as us." Clay laughed.

"Daddy! You know that's not true!" Brenda protested.

"Honey, don't fool yourself. If you were at one hundred percent, we'd never see you at all. We know how busy you are." Clay told his daughter.

Brenda didn't like to hear it, but she knew he was right. All these years, her daddy could still make her feel guilty.

Provenza took his leave and Brenda locked up after him. They all puttered around, finally heading to get ready for bed. Flynn had taken her parents bags to the spare room earlier, so they went there, while Brenda headed for her room. Andy followed her, picking up the bag of chocolate that he'd bought for her earlier.

Closing the room door, they finally had a moment to themselves. He came up behind her, pulling her to him. He kissed her neck before presenting her with her chocolate.

"Oh, thank you, Andy! You don't know how much I've needed this!" Brenda was happy to see the chocolate. It made dealing with her parents much easier.

"You don't know how much I've needed to do this." Andy replied, continuing to kiss her neck. A shiver ran through Brenda's body. She didn't know how he could always do this to her. It felt like it had been so long since they'd been this close, in reality it hadn't, but it still felt like forever. She turned to face him, her lips meeting his.

After several minutes of passionate kissing, Andy felt himself beginning to lose control. Emotions filled him, he wanted Brenda badly. However, with her head injury and her parents in the next room, he didn't think that anything was going to happen, so he reluctantly pulled away from her and went to sit on the bed.

"Why'd you stop?" Brenda asked him, not wanting the contact to end. She turned to him with a quizzical look, seeing the concern on his face.

"Hon, I can't do this. I'm wanting things that I have no right asking you to do tonight, considering the circumstances." Andy admitted.

"You really are the sweetest thing, do you know that, Andy Flynn?" She reached up and kissed him again. Everything with him just felt so right. Their kiss was interrupted by a knock on the bedroom door.

"Brenda Leigh? Where are your extra blankets? Your father is claimin' it's too cold in our room." Willie Rae called out.

Brenda jumped back a little from Andy, nervous suddenly. She was an old enough woman not to worry about what her parents thought, but she still acted like a teenager at times with them. Flynn just smiled at her, the woman was a contradiction. So tough on the job, so weak when it came to her parents. He just continued on to the washroom, leaving her to find some blankets for her parents. He readied for bed, and when he returned to the room, she was sitting on the bed, reading the casefile that Provenza had brought with him, snacking on one of the chocolate bars he'd brought for her.

"After 3 days, this is all we have on the suspect? He was the victim's on/off boyfriend. Apparently they were on an off period. Nothing to tie him to the murder, but he's now up on attempted murder charges on me." Brenda wasn't happy. She needed more to work with.

"He's got an alibi to cover the apparent time of the murder, but not for the time the body was dumped in the park." Flynn told her.

Brenda looked through the file again, trying to find anything to help her team. Something finally clicked. "Did y'all notice that the address of the alibi witness is the same as the person who discovered the body? I think that's more than a little coincidental. Maybe they helped him dump the body there. You should check that out."

Flynn looked at her, unbelieving that the five of them working the case had missed that. He felt incredibly stupid. "I don't know how we missed that. That's an easy connection. Damn it." He was more than a little upset.

"To be fair, I think you've been worried about a few things." Brenda kissed his forehead.

"Yes, I have. But it shouldn't affect how I do my job." Andy was put out.

Brenda looked at him, seeing the commitment to work in his eyes. He'd always been good at his job, no matter that some people thought he sometimes looked for the easier way out of doing things. Even herself at times had thought he didn't always put the biggest effort in to things. She smiled, and broke her candy bar in half, handing it to him.

"Here, chocolate always makes me feel better. This will help." Brenda kissed his cheek.

Andy looked at the proffered chocolate, surprised. Brenda didn't share her chocolate very often, but here she was, offering it to him. As tough as she was, this gesture touched him. She really wasn't as hard as she liked to appear, but he knew that. So, he took the chocolate offered to him, and acted like he was clinking it together with hers, before eating it. He calmed down, and then pulled her to him, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Life wasn't perfect, far from it, but being with her, it sure felt damn close.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: This chapter is leaning towards an M rating, so if you're uncomfortable with that, please don't read. Just wanted to give you a heads up, as this chapter contains adult moments. **

The next couple of days passed slowly for Brenda. Stuck in the house with her parents most of the time, she really wanted to be back at work. Flynn wasn't around much, he was working hard on the case, especially since they had followed up the lead that Brenda had managed to find. She wasn't positive, but she did think he was still put out by the fact that the team had missed such an obvious thing as the address. Working late, he'd taken to spending nights at his own place, leaving Brenda alone the last couple of nights. He'd phone and they'd talk a long time in the evenings, but she found she missed him beside her in her bed. She liked that he'd been there, just to hold her while she fell asleep, and the lack of him being there frustrated her.

Andy, for his part, felt the same way. After having slept alone for the longest time, he'd grown used to have the small blonde beside him, nestled close to him. He hadn't been in a real relationship in a very long time, and the one night stands he often had had didn't count. Brenda meant more to him than he'd felt in years. But with the case and with her parents there, he didn't want to intrude. He knew that her father was not thrilled that he was Brenda's boyfriend, and the hours they were putting in to close this case made him feel like he should just stay at his place, not keep coming and going on her. He also knew that Brenda was upset at that. Apparently, she'd grown as used to him as he had to her.

All this came to a head on the Friday after Brenda had been injured. They'd finally managed to close the case, the perp finally confessing and taking his two accomplices down with him. Andy felt relieved for the first time in days, Provenza was in an extremely good mood and Brenda had been cleared by her doctor to start work on Monday once again. Things had taken a turn for the better. When Provenza and Flynn had shown up at Brenda's after work on Friday, they were met by a frustrated set of Johnson's. Brenda had had enough of being babied, but was letting her frustrations seep through in subtle ways. As soon as the duo entered the house, they could feel the tension, which surprised them. Provenza immediately decided to take the elder Johnson's out to dinner, leaving Flynn and Brenda alone for the first time in days.

"Listen, I have to go home and get a few things, if I'm staying here tonight. I mean, I don't have to stay the night here, if you don't want. But if I am, I need to go home. Do you want to come with me?" Andy blurted out, after the Johnson's and Provenza departed.

Brenda wasn't going to let him get away, she'd missed him the last couple of days. Talking on the phone was not the same as being with someone, having them near. Besides, she was tired of being cooped up inside her own home and wanted out. "I'd love to go with you. I need out of here."

Andy put his arm around her, leading her to his car, opening the door for her. He surprised her all the time lately. Brenda settled in, glad to have some real alone time with Andy, without her parents being in the next room. She'd always had a thing about no personal interaction with her partner when her parents were around. Truthfully, she would have preferred that they hadn't discovered Andy and her's relationship in quite the way they had, but there was nothing they could do about it. She was surprised by how well her father took it though. Her mother hadn't said much, but did try to make the best of the situation, accepting that he was now a part of her daughter's life.

Brenda watched him drive, and soon arrived at the fact that it had been much too long since they'd had intimate contact, so to speak. Her head injury had put a stop to it, and the fact that her parents were in the house had completely killed any desire in her. They'd come close on Tuesday night, and in Brenda's mind, she thought that that was maybe also part of the reason Andy had spent the last couple of nights in his own house. The temptation was great and he was doing his best to behave himself. She decided he should be rewarded for that.

Arriving at his place, she followed him into his living room, and she flashed on the night that she'd first arrived at his place, wanting him. Thinking about this made her smile. Andy barely had time to react when Brenda suddenly reached out, grabbed his tie and pulled him close to her.

"I've missed you." Brenda said, kissing him gently on the mouth.

Andy deepened the kiss, making it more passionate, demonstrating his want for her. When he finally broke away, he spoke. "You don't know how much I've wanted to do that for the last couple of days. I'm sorry I didn't just come to your place and stay."

"It's okay. With my parents there and my head being the way it was, it was probably for the best." Brenda patted his chest.

Andy kissed her forehead before leaving her, going to his room to pack a few things. "I'll just be a few minutes."

Brenda stood there, slightly frustrated. Andy wasn't taking the hint very well that she wanted more than just a kiss from him. She wandered over to his stereo, flipping through his cd's that sat nearby. Seeing a collection of oldies songs, she slipped it in the cd player and turned it on. The sound of the music drew Andy back into the room, where Brenda stood smiling at him.

"Care to dance, Lt. Flynn?" Brenda said to him.

Andy gave a quick nod of his head, gathering her in his arms, holding her close to him. The slow song they swayed to lead to Brenda putting her head on his chest and she listened to his heart beat rapidly. She couldn't help herself, she began kissing his neck. She wanted to do more than just dance, regardless of time of day or her injury. She just wanted him. Andy gripped her tightly as they danced, struggling to form words while her lips did wonderful things to his neck.

"Brenda..." Andy spoke softly.

"Hmmm?" she barely acknowledged the words, intent on her mission.

He moved his hands to her face. Cupping both sides of her face, he leaned down to kiss her. It was full of meaning and changed the pace of their contact. He moved back to look her in the eyes and saw his passion reflected in her own. He took her hands in his, leading her towards the couch.

Brenda tugged him back to her, changing direction towards the bedroom. Andy smiled at her, and he leaned down quickly and kissed her passionately. They entered the room, one in which they admittedly hadn't spent much time in. They were usually at her place. Brenda broke the kiss long enough to move them closer to the bed. She felt Andy's hands playing with the hem of her shirt. Turning to face him, she moved her hands to his jacket, undoing the buttons, helping him out of it. She quickly rid him of his tie and then she turned her attentions to the buttons on his shirt. She undid the buttons as quickly as she could, tugging the shirt from his waistband. Andy reached to pull Brenda's shirt off, but the process was impeded as Brenda's slender fingers were tracing the waistband of his pants.

"A little eager?" he asked her.

"It's been far too long since we've done this. I've missed you." Brenda whispered.

Brenda quickly removed Andy's belt and had his pants undone before he even realized what she was doing. Tossing his shoes and socks, he climbed on the bed next to her, where he quickly made work of her jeans. He leaned on one arm next to her, while his right hand trailed lazily on her milky white skin. Brenda shivered involuntarily. Looking up to meet her gaze, he watched her as he leaned down to kiss her abdomen.

He felt her hands on his shoulders, urging him upwards. The kisses were languid at first, but the proximity of her body to his and lack of clothing quickly escalated the situation. He couldn't resist the urge to touch her, tracing familiar territory. Her hands were roaming his body, her touch soft and gentle. Andy's attention turned to her neck, and as he trailed kisses down her neck into the hollows of her collarbone, his hands moved behind her to the clasp of her bra.

Brenda grinned at him, lifting up to give him better access. After removing the offending garment, he turned his attention to her chest. Her fingernails were raking across his back, but that served as little distraction. He'd spent the last couple of nights thinking about doing this with her, missing her deeply. And now that they were together again, he threw himself into it, it was better than the thoughts he'd had the last few nights. Brenda had apparently missed him too, judging by the moan he heard as he kissed the underside of her breast. This only urged him onwards.

Brenda felt herself in a haze, Andy's lips and hands were doing amazing things to her body. After the injury this week, and the unsettledness between the two of them since her parents appearance, she thought how lovely this was, how she'd missed physical contact with him. She reached her hands down and found the waistband of Andy's boxer shorts. Tucking two fingers underneath the sides, she snapped them gently. Andy stopped his ministrations on her breasts and laughed.

"So that's the way you want to play it, huh?"

He put one leg between her two and braced himself with his forearms on either side of her. She sucked her breath in at the new positioning, waiting impatiently. Brenda reached up and pulled him to her, kissing him fiercely. He returned the kiss with equal fire. Pulling back quickly, he brushed an errant lock of hair away from her face. He leaned back down and captured her lips in a searing kiss. Brenda's hands returned to her previous mission of divesting him of his boxers. He reached down and helped her remove them. Brenda shivered when he moved his body away from her momentarily. He returned to her, kissing his way down her neck to her abdomen, and felt her shiver again when he stopped to take hold of her panties. He knew this shiver was for a different reason.

Moving back up her body, Andy paused before kissing her again, taking time to meet her eyes. She smiled at him and he returned the smile.

"You okay?" he asked her, concerned for her.

"Great." she giggled. "Except for all this teasing."

"Oh, what, Chief Johnson doesn't like a little teasing?"

"I'm impatient."

"That makes two of us." Andy smiled and leaned in to kiss her again. He felt her move her legs and readjusted to settle between them. Giving Andy a knowing look, Brenda felt Andy move to press against her. She gasped when he started to make love to her and he paused slightly, but Brenda twisted her hips slightly to urge him on.

The two moved slowly and deliberately together. Brenda held onto Andy as she felt the familiar energy building. Andy began whispering in her ear and that was nearly all it took. She felt the wave crash in and she loosened her grip on Andy. She was trying to recover when she felt him begin to speed up and she knew he was close.

She began to suck lightly on his earlobe, a secret spot she'd discovered in a hot and heavy makeout session on the couch the week before. He moaned deeply at the contact. Keeping her lips on his neck, she began to whisper to him and that's all it took to push him over the edge. Collapsing against her, he laid his head in the crook of her neck. Giving her a couple of quick kisses, he settled in beside her and she turned to face him, settling on her side as well.

He pulled her flush to his body and reached up to brush her hair out of her face. "It's good to see you smile again, Brenda."

She only smiled bigger. "It's good to be with you again."

"You act like it's been months. It hasn't even been a week." he chuckled.

"It felt like months. I've missed being with you. Besides, we hadn't made love since you told me you loved me. That should have had a special occasion just on its own." Brenda played with his chest hair.

He held her close, kissing her again. "I do love you. More than I thought was possible. It took us a long time to get here."

"Well, I was married most of the time we've known each other. I just wish that maybe we hadn't hated each other so much in the beginning. I feel like we've wasted so much time." She feathered kisses on his chin.

"Can't be helped, I guess. Besides you were otherwise occupied. And it was probably for the best. I like to think we're wiser now than we were then. We probably would have killed each other in the beginning." he chuckled.

"True. Still doesn't mean that we didn't take forever getting to where we are."

"Just be happy we got here, sweetheart. I thank God that we got here." Andy admitted.

"Guess my work ethic worked out in the end for someone." Brenda laughed.

"His loss is my gain." Andy replied.

"Please. Why are you so okay with the way I work? Doesn't it get to you that I'm so dedicated to my job?" Brenda persisted.

"Honey, if it makes you happy, I'm happy. I see how you do your job, you're damn good at it. Anyone who couldn't handle that is a fool. And he was. But I really don't want to talk about your ex. Not here, not when we're like this. Besides, he always irritated the hell out of me." Andy objected.

Brenda simply smiled, replying. "Relax. I love you, remember? That is something you will never have to worry about."

"I know. And I will never treat you the way he did. I don't want to change you. I just want to be with you." He pulled her to him, kissing her head.

They lay quietly after that, just holding one another. They only stirred when they realized how late it was getting and that her parents would be back at her house soon. Their brief moment of respite from the world was over, but it had done the both of them a world of good. Life was getting back to what passed for normal for them, and for now, both were happy with that.


	25. Chapter 25

Andy considered his options with Brenda closely. Ever since he'd helped care for her after her attack, he knew one thing for sure. This wasn't just a simple relationship with her. He realized he wanted something more, whether she thought it was possible or not. He wanted to ask her to marry him, but deep down, he felt she would turn him down. It was hard enough hiding their existing relationship, let alone hiding a marriage. He was torn. He'd promised her that no one would have to know about the two of them, and here he was, wanting to break that wide open. He did not know what to do.

He watched her closely through her windows one day, thinking about how to broach the subject. Would she flip out, walk away? Would she be receptive to the idea? Maybe they could compromise, at least move in together. But he did not want to force her into anything. He'd heard how Fritz had basically maneuvered his way into everything in her life, and did not want her to feel that way about him. At the same time, he didn't want her thinking he was a doormat, doing whatever she wanted. For this to keep working, they had to be equals.

Provenza brought him out of his revery, coming over to talk to him. "You should be more careful how you stare at her. Your secret will get out."

Flynn's eyes darted down to his desk, breaking his train of thought. "You're right, I know. I can't help it."

"Well, you should. People are starting to notice things. I think Gabriel is catching on. You do know he's finally caught on to the fact that he really isn't her favorite anymore. Eventually you two are going to have to come clean, at least with the team." Provenza kept his voice low.

"Let's go get a coffee. I really don't want to talk about this in here." Flynn stood up, taking his jacket off the back of his chair.

Provenza followed him to the break room, concerned for his friend and his boss. Secrets always had a way of spilling out, and the way things were between the Chief and Flynn was going to come out, sooner or later. He had to admit, the two of them had kept things very quiet, and as far as he knew, they kept their personal life out of the office. He'd been hard-pressed to find anyway they'd been different before he knew for sure. The only time he'd really known that something was starting to happen between the two of them was when they went to that ballgame. It was so obvious, the way Flynn had fallen all over her. But at work, they kept things in check. He'd give the two of them credit for that.

After they poured their cups of coffee, they settled in at the table in the break room. They had the place to themselves, and with the door closed, Flynn thought he could at least talk freely. He hated to admit it, but he needed someone to talk to about her.

"It's hard, Provenza. We've worked to keep this quiet, it's the way she wanted things. I'm at the point where I want something a little more." Flynn admitted.

Provenza sat there, stunned. Was Flynn thinking what he thought he was thinking? Had he not taught him anything in the last few years, that commitment of that type was to be avoided?

"You aren't thinking of asking her to marry you, are you? Are you out of your mind?" Provenza blustered.

"I'm not out of my mind, and yes, I'm thinking of asking her. I only know that being with her has made me happier than I have been in years. And I don't want to lose her. If it's a problem with the higher ups, I'll quit the Major Crimes Unit, go back to robbery/homicide. I just know that I'm ready. But, given her history with the FBI guy, I think she'll freak out. Change is not her strong suit, and she's happy with things the way they are. I don't know what to do." Flynn looked defeated. Brenda Leigh Johnson had definitely thrown him for a loop, and Provenza softened his attitude.

"Look, Andy, all you can do is ask. If she turns you down, it will be okay. She loves you, she just might not be ready to take it an extra step yet."

"I'm ready, though, Provenza. And you know how I feel about marriage. And given my past, it's not like I'm that great at it. But for her, I'd do anything."

"You've got it bad, Flynn, real bad. Have I taught you nothing over the years?"

"Not really, Provenza. It's not like you follow your own rules. Do you remember all the suits and ties you bought?" Flynn cracked a smile.

"I looked really dapper. I grew out of that phase." Provenza smiled back. "Look, whatever you do, don't give up on her. You, of all people, know that she isn't good with change. If she turns you down, sit back and regroup, but don't let her go. I can't believe I'm saying this, but you two are good for each other. You aren't nearly as hard to put up with now that you're getting laid regularly."

"I should hit you for that, Provenza." Flynn tried to keep a straight face, but burst out laughing.

"See, what did I tell you? The old Flynn would have smacked me!" Provenza laughed.

Nothing much was solved by their discussion, but Andy did feel tremendously better after having talked it out with Provenza. He resolved that he'd bring this up to Brenda after work tonight, and the two finished their coffee and got back to the squad room.

Andy picked up a file and walked to her office. He just wanted to know what she wanted for dinner tonight, he'd stop by and pick something up. She smiled at him when he entered her office.

"What's up, Lieutenant? To what do I owe this visit to?"

"Well, Chief, this is my subtle way of looking like I'm actually working by bringing a file with me, but in reality, I'm asking my girlfriend what she wants for dinner tonight, so I can pick it up on my way to her place." Flynn flipped open the file, setting it down on the desk in front of her. Brenda went along with it, pretending to read what was inside, very aware of Andy standing next to her, leaning over too.

"Well, Lieutenant, how about pizza? You can get some of that vegetarian stuff you're so fond of and me, a pepperoni, ham and pineapple one. What do you think?" She smiled up at him.

"It sounds terrific, Chief. When it's time to leave, I'll phone Mario's and order it. I shouldn't be too far behind you." Flynn resisted the urge to touch her in any way possible.

"So, is that everything, Lt.?"

"Yes, ma'am. Just wanted an excuse to come talk to you." Flynn said.

"It's always nice when you do that. Are we being too obvious?" Brenda felt a little uneasy, not liking to give anything away in the office.

"Provenza seems to think so. He thinks Gabriel is catching on. Apparently he's realized that he's not quite your favorite anymore."

"Who says? I mean, he may not be my boyfriend, but I certainly still appreciate everything he does!" Brenda was rattled.

Andy didn't know whether to be offended or not. He did like to think that he'd become her favorite, but Brenda was trying so hard not to be different, that maybe she did believe that Gabriel was still her favorite. He decided to let it go, changing the subject.

"Listen, I'm going to go finish up the paperwork on the last case, and it will soon be time to go. I'll catch you later." Andy turned and went out the door.

Brenda stared after him, afraid she'd hurt his feelings. Her mouth always did get her into trouble, she thought to herself. She watched him settle down at his desk, and she surveyed the squad room. Was it obvious to them all about Flynn and her? Was she fooling herself into thinking that a bunch of men who were some of the best detectives she'd worked with didn't know that anything was going on? She didn't know what to think.

Having finished her paperwork, she got up to leave, throwing some files into her bag and taking the back way out of the office. She had the beginnings of a headache, and not sure why. Work had been uneventful in the month since she'd returned to work, things moving smoothly, cases being cleared. Andy and her were growing closer, especially since her assault. She was content for the first time in a long time.

That should have told her that something was coming that was going to unsettle everything she'd managed to achieve in the time since Fritz had left her. Pulling up in front of her house, she wondered why she'd never moved from it. She began thinking maybe it was time to find a new place, put the past behind her for good. She still missed her little house that she'd briefly called her own, and thought maybe she should look for a new home to buy. She made a mental note to begin to look through some housing listings. Letting herself into her apartment, she was shocked to see Fritz sitting on her couch.

"Fritz, what are you doing here?" Surprise and frustration was evident in her voice. She hoped he hadn't been nosing, discovering anything about her and Andy.

"It's good to see you too, Brenda." Fritz deadpanned.

"Seriously, Fritz, what are you doing here? How did you get in here?" Brenda didn't like her ex being able to walk into her place so easily.

"I still have the key, I forgot to give it to you when I left. And I'm here because I need to talk to you." Fritz explained.

Brenda looked at him, troubled. What could he possibly have to talk about now? They'd been divorced for three months now, been separated for over a year, now he wanted to talk? "What's there to talk about?"

"Brenda, would you sit down? I have something I have to say to you." Fritz looked up at her, smiling.

Brenda put down her purse and shrugged off her trench coat. She really hoped he'd be gone by the time Andy got here. It would be better if the two of them weren't in the same room together. She sat down on the couch beside him.

Fritz took her hands in his, looking at her in all seriousness. "Brenda, I think I may have acted too hastily last year. I miss you, I miss this life. I just wanted to know, is there any hope for us?"

Brenda was stunned, to say the least. Take him back? Now? Was he out of his mind? And what happened to Miss FBI agent, the one who wanted the same things as he did. She didn't say anything.

"Say something, anything, Brenda." Fritz wished he could take back the way he'd walked out in anger last year.

"Fritz, I can't. I just can't. I don't love you anymore. I've moved on." Brenda finally found her voice.

"Come on, Brenda, give me a chance here. I was wrong, I admit it. I know you must still feel something for me." Fritz pleaded.

"I thought you had someone new. That you'd moved on from me way before I moved on from you." Brenda questioned him.

"Well, technically, we're still together. But things are kind of rough right now, and I've realized she isn't you. I still love you, Brenda."

Brenda stood up, needing to get away from him. Why did he have to come here, she didn't want him here. Her feelings were clear, she didn't love him anymore. "I'm sorry, Fritz, I can't do this. Besides, I thought she was perfect, wanting children just like you did."

Apparently that hit a sore spot. Fritz looked extremely uncomfortable when that was brought up. "We had a pregnancy scare a couple of months ago. She's been kind of freaked out ever since, and we hit a rough patch. She isn't sure what she wants anymore."

"So you come back to me, expecting me to welcome you back with open arms?" Brenda felt anger starting to build.

The front door opened, Andy coming in with the pizza. Shock registered on his face, seeing Fritz sitting on the couch, Brenda looking extremely agitated. Whatever was going on wasn't good, he could see that much. Recovering from the surprise of seeing his girlfriend's ex sitting on the couch, he came up with an excuse to be there.

"You got that file, Chief? Are we still going to go over it? I can come back later, if you want." Andy silently pleaded for her to say he could stay.

"Yes, Lt., the files in my bag. Thanks so much for bringing pizza. I didn't expect guests, so I hope there is enough to go around." Brenda looked blankly at him.

Andy was worried. Brenda looked pale and he didn't know what to do. He felt the urge to punch Fritz, even though he didn't know the reason why yet. Andy felt his plans to talk to Brenda beginning to evaporate, and he grew frustrated. He took the pizza to the dining room table, aware that Fritz was watching him with curiosity. Leaving the pizza on the table, he went to the kitchen for plates. It killed him to have to pull three out of the cupboard.

Entering the dining room once again, he set the plates down and opened up the pizza boxes. Brenda came in, picking up a plate and taking a slice, but her appetite had dwindled. Fritz came in and helped himself also. They all sat down to eat, the silence thick between the three of them. Andy ate hurriedly, intending to clear out, let the two talk about whatever. He didn't want to, but would give Brenda her space.

They finished up in record time, and Andy closed up the pizza boxes. He stood up to go.

"Listen, Chief, I can come by another time. It looks like you're busy." Andy looked at her with concern.

Fritz had made himself scarce, wanting Flynn to be gone. It was always work with Brenda, it apparently even followed her home now. Brenda walked with Andy to the door, to see him out and have a chance to talk a bit with him.

"Look, Andy, I'll phone you later. I'll let him have his say, but I'm going to try and get him out of here as soon as I can." Brenda said once they were safely outside the front door.

Andy stood closely to her, wanting to kiss her, afraid that Fritz was watching from the inside.

"I don't want to go, you know that? You want me here, just say the word, I'll be right back."

Brenda couldn't look him in the eye. She hadn't done anything wrong, but felt like she had. How was she going to tell him that Fritz had come back, wanting her back? She had a feeling this wasn't going to end well, no matter how she looked at it. Throwing caution to the wind, she reached out and hugged Andy, before kissing him gently on the lips. 

"I'll talk to you later, I will."

"You better. I don't like leaving you with him." Andy was worried.

"I'll be fine. And I'll talk to you later. I swear." Brenda promised.

Reluctantly, Andy departed from her place, fearing the worst, now that Fritz was back. Why had Brenda looked the way she did? What was he doing back? Fritz had thrown everything away and he'd been the one to help Brenda to pick up the pieces and put her life back together. Andy felt scared that he was going to lose her, even though he had nothing to base it on. He felt the same way as when she'd been injured and in the hospital. The unknown caused a fear in him that he hadn't known he was capable of, and he felt more helpless than he'd ever been.


	26. Chapter 26

Brenda watched as Flynn pulled out her driveway. She wanted to run after him, tell him not to go, but she had to deal with the man inside her house. He shouldn't be here. Shouldn't have been sitting in her house when she walked in, shouldn't have thought he could just waltz right back in, saying he missed her and was wrong. She was more than a little angry. She examined her feelings, realizing she really didn't love Fritz anymore. The realization kind of shocked her. He'd been an important part of her life for so long, and now, she just felt nothing. Well, maybe anger, but certainly not love.

She turned to go back into the apartment, wondering how to get him out of her house. She'd recognized the hurt in Andy's eyes as he'd left. He hadn't wanted to, not at all. She wished he would have stayed. Perhaps they could have told Fritz they were together, and Fritz would have left. She shook her head, no, Fritz would have went ballistic. She opened the door, letting herself in. Fritz was sitting at the table, still eating some pizza. Brenda could only sigh, and she went and sat at the table across from him.

Fritz looked at Brenda, noticing a change in her. She wouldn't meet his eyes, and was extremely uncomfortable. He had thought she'd be happy, him admitting that he had been wrong in leaving her. Instead, she was trying to tell him to just go. He frowned. This wasn't how he'd thought this would go.

"Brenda, what's wrong? I thought you'd be happy that I'm admitting I was wrong. I thought you lived for me to admit being wrong." Fritz tried teasing her.

Brenda stared at him mutely. Was he really trying to joke his way out of their separation and divorce? It had hurt that he'd been angry at her for choosing the job over him and then he'd turned around, doing the same thing. Not to forget, he'd also picked himself up a girlfriend in D.C., long before she and Andy had started anything.

"Fritz, it's just like I told you. I've moved on. I'm with someone else. And the fact is, I love him. I don't want you back, I don't want you to come back. You have your new life in D.C. Go back to whatever her name is, make up with her. There's no chance we're getting back together." Brenda laid out the facts for him.

Fritz was shocked. Apparently Brenda hadn't been making up the fact that she was with someone else. He thought she'd lied, that she was using it as a tactic to get him where she wanted him. He got up from the table, coming around to where she sat. He bent down over her, placing his arms on either side of her. He was going to try and sweet talk her.

"Brenda.." he said in that slightly teasing tone, coming on to her.

"Fritz, I told you..." Brenda didn't like him so close to her. That was as far as she got as he reached forward, kissing her gently on the lips. He tried deepening the kiss, but Brenda pulled back from him and her hands shot out, pushing him away.

"Fritz, I told you, I'm in love with someone else. Don't do that again. That part of our lives is through. And I'm not going back!" Brenda stood up, needing to be away from him.

"How can you be in love with someone else? Honestly, Brenda, who would put up with you, like I did all these years? He'd have to be a goddamn saint to put up with your crap. Does he know that you're married to the job? That you'd do anything to close a case? Give up everything so you can get your answers? I highly doubt it." Fritz went off on her, angry that she wasn't willing to at least talk about getting together again.

"He knows everything about me! He understands how much all I want to do sometimes is do my job. He doesn't make me feel bad about loving my work, and he doesn't care that I sometimes get too involved in my work. He's never said one bad thing about me caring for what I do!" Brenda shouted back at him.

"Then he doesn't know anything about you. He doesn't know that you'll throw him under a bus one day if it means you get your case solved. That you'll backstab him to get the answers you want!" Fritz yelled.

"Fritz, get out. Get out now. I don't want you here. Just go." Brenda stopped arguing, just wanting him to be gone.

"Fine, I'll go, Brenda. I'll let you cool off a bit and I'll talk to you later. I think we can work this out, I really do." Fritz said, refusing to give up.

With that, he turned and grabbed his suitcase and prepared to leave.

"Fritz, I want the key back. Now. And don't ever come in here again. You don't live here anymore. This is my home." Brenda stood her ground.

Fritz looked at her, reached into his pocket and tossed the key onto the coffee table. "I'll talk to you later, when you're more rational."

He left, leaving Brenda alone in the quiet of her living room. Her mind swirled. She couldn't believe Fritz. He never listened to her, just kept going on, thinking he could change her mind, bully her into doing what he wanted. It had always been a bone of contention with her, and most times, she'd folded to keep the peace. Not anymore though. She thought about the kiss he'd just given her and realized she had felt absolutely nothing but anger at it. Where she'd once loved to kiss him, now it made her feel like she'd done something wrong, like she'd betrayed Andy in some way, even though she hadn't been the one to kiss Fritz. At least Fritz had left, thank god he'd listened to her on that.

Brenda sat down on her couch, wondering what to do. Apparently he was going to talk to her sometime, she couldn't seem to get rid of him, no matter that she'd told him she wasn't interested. He seemed to be having trouble getting that through his head. She then thought of Andy, driving away, upset. She wondered if he was home yet, that maybe she could go over there. She felt out of place, invaded, now that Fritz had been here. It was as if he'd taken her cozy home and made it an alien landscape, unsafe and dangerous. She had no idea whether he had another key or not and could just come and go as he pleased. A chill went through her.

Then she wondered if she should tell Andy about the kissing attempt. She had a feeling he'd be angry about it, maybe want to hurt Fritz, and Brenda didn't want that. Not that she wanted to protect Fritz, but wanted to protect Andy. She was unsettled, not knowing what to do. She didn't like to feel this way, with no control. Finally, she'd had enough. She picked up her phone to call Andy, find out where he was.

The call went to voicemail. She left a message, telling him that Fritz had left and wondering if she could come over there. She didn't add anything as to why she wanted to come over, just left it at that. Her head was starting to ache, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up and go to sleep. Clutching a pillow, she did just that on the couch, after making sure the door was locked so there were no more surprise intrusions.

Brenda had no idea how long she'd slept, only that it was very dark when she awoke. She hadn't heard the phone ring, and began worrying about Andy. She checked it, there was no calls from him. She was surprised. She tried his cell number and still didn't get an answer. Deciding enough was enough, Brenda grabbed her coat and car keys. She was going to check out his house, see if he was there, sleeping. Worry had set in, and she needed to see Andy and make sure he was okay.

Driving there, she was plagued by the thought she shouldn't have let him drive off. He was giving her the space she needed to deal with her ex, and she'd given him no reassurance. It wasn't long til she got to his place and his car was not in his driveway. Worry really set in, and she parked, grabbed her phone and rang his cell. He still didn't answer. She angrily hit the disconnect button and immediately called up Lt. Tao's home number.

"Lt.? It's Chief Johnson. I need...yes, I know it's late, Lt., but I wouldn't phone if this wasn't an emergency! Now, like I said, I need you to locate a gps signal for me."

"What for? Anything to do with a case?" Tao questioned her.

"No, I'm worried about Lt. Flynn. Something happened and he's disappeared. I need you to see if you can track him for me." Brenda really didn't want to say why she was looking for Flynn. But Tao was good with computers, she thought he could do that. "Please, if you help me, I'll get you anything you want. You tell me, it will be on your desk the next time I'm at work."

Tao didn't know what to think, why was it so important for the Chief to find Flynn? But, by the sound of her voice, she was desperate to know where he was. Finally Tao relented and promised to phone her back as soon as he could. Brenda thanked him profusely for doing this for her and realized it was time to come clean with the team at least about her and Flynn. She let herself into Flynn's house and wondered if he'd even come home. She turned on the lights to have a look around, and headed for his bedroom. Getting there, she seen the suit he'd been wearing that day on a chair, so she knew he'd been here and had changed. Frustration now set in. Where was he? Why wouldn't he answer his phone?

She almost jumped out of her skin when her phone rang. Calming herself, she answered, seeing that it was Tao on the line.

"Chief, gps says he's about an hour away from here, up the coast. A resort of some type." He proceeded to give her the address and Brenda realized exactly where Flynn had gone to. The place where he'd said he'd loved her for the first time. Brenda thanked Tao, hung up the phone and set a course for the hotel.


	27. Chapter 27

Brenda drove as fast as she dared to, needing to get to where Andy was. Why had he left town, gone without telling her? Had Fritz's reappearance shook him that much? She worried about him. He'd been so good about things, been so great about her insistence that this thing between them be kept quiet, he'd never questioned it. But had Brenda taken advantage of this? She didn't want to lose him, she needed to find him, to tell him everything was okay.

She pulled into the resort's parking lot and scrambled out of the car. Looking around, she spotted his car right away. So he was here. Part of her was relieved, part of her was furious for him just taking off like this. She wondered if he'd managed to get the same room as they'd had when they'd first visited here. She wondered if she should just go up to the room and knock on the door, but decided to see what the front desk said first. She'd hate to interrupt a complete stranger, after all. Surprisingly, the front desk clerk remembered her from their trip, and just thought that she was late arriving to join Flynn. She had no problem getting the room number and she was right, it was the same room.

Brenda quickly took the elevator up, hurrying down the hall towards the room, hoping he was in there. She stopped at the room door, taking a moment to compose herself. What was she going to say? She didn't even know why he'd came here, would he be angry she'd followed him? Brenda was very unsure of herself and she did not like feeling this way. She worked up the courage and knocked on the door. She heard a "Who is it?" from inside, recognizing Andy's familiar voice.

"Andy, it's me." she said in a soft voice.

He didn't reply, but soon enough, she heard the door being unlocked, a smiling Andy opening the door and pulling her inside.

"You came." was all he said before kissing her.

Brenda was happy with the kiss, but completely confused. Why had he come here? He was happy to see her, obviously, but why not just stay in L.A.? Why come here, turn off his phone, not tell her anything?

Andy shut the door, relieved that Brenda had shown up. He hadn't wanted to cause waves between her and her ex, and waiting for her to phone had been interminable. He'd just started driving and somehow had ended up here. He'd shut his phone off because some part of him feared she was going to phone him and break up with him. It was an irrational fear, but he'd seen the way Howard had been looking at Brenda. It wasn't just a social call, the FBI guy had wanted her, badly from what Andy could tell. And he'd let his fear believe that Brenda would give in to the man, they had such a long history together.

Finally, Brenda broke the kiss, leading him over to the couch to sit down. She needed some answers from him.

"Andy, I don't understand. Why did you come here? I told you I'd call later. I've been worried sick about you. When you didn't answer your phone, I went to your place and couldn't find you. Lt. Tao helped me trace you to here, but why? Why did you come here?" Brenda questioned him.

Andy looked at her, she'd been worried about him. She'd come looking for him. Relief started to flow through him.

"I don't really know, Brenda. I went home after I left your place and honestly, it was driving me nuts. Thinking of you alone with him. I seen the way he was looking at you, Brenda. This wasn't a friendly visit. He wanted you, he wants you back." Flynn told her.

Brenda looked into those brown eyes, and didn't know what to say to him. What he had thought was exactly true, Fritz had wanted her back. But she wished he'd had enough faith and trust in her to know that she would never do something like that to him.

"Andy, you were right, completely. He does want me back. Unfortunately for him, I'm in love with someone else. Completely. And I thought that someone knew that and would have enough trust in me to know I wouldn't leave him for someone else, especially someone I don't love." She patted his hands, trying to reassure herself and him.

Andy looked at her, realizing she meant every word she said. It made him feel like a complete idiot for running from L.A. He should have waited for her call. Still, her coming after him proved to him the depth of her feelings.

"I know you wouldn't leave me. But I had to leave or I might have punched the guy while I was there. You don't know how much it took for me not to punch him out. He looked at you like he owns you, like you were still his for the taking." Andy admitted.

"I'm not his for the taking. I don't want him anymore. When he tried to kiss me, I felt nothing." Brenda accidentally admitted.

"HE KISSED YOU? The son-of-a-bitch! I knew I should have punched him!" Andy became angry, standing up and going out on the balcony. Brenda quickly followed him.

"Yes, he tried to kiss me. And I felt absolutely nothing except loathing that he thought he could come in and try to pick up where we left off over a year ago. I don't want him. What will it take for you to realize that?" Brenda was getting angry.

"What will it take? How about us not pretending to everyone anymore? I don't mean we have to tell the whole world, but I want to hold your hand without you grabbing it back when you think you see someone you know. I want to be able to put my hand on your shoulder and not have everyone think I'm hitting on you. I want to marry you-" Andy was cut off by Brenda.

"What did you say?" she stopped him, looking at him with confusion.

"I said I want to marry you. In fact, before Mr. FBI waltzed in tonight, I was going to ask you to marry me." Andy reluctantly admitted. "So much for a romantic proposal."

Brenda put one hand on her hip, the other on her chest as she suddenly started flitting around. Andy was serious about them, more so than she'd ever have thought. She had to think this through. She went back into the room, this time he followed her.

"I love you, Brenda. I think I came back here because we were happy here. We were able to walk, able to hold hands. We were able to be a couple without fear of it causing so many problems. I just wanted to remember that. Honestly, I'm so afraid of losing you. We fear so much when we're together, I just don't know what to do anymore. If it takes transferring so we can be a couple, I'll do it. I just don't want to hide anymore." Andy finally admitted.

"Why now? Why have you changed your mind about us not telling anyone now?" Brenda wanted to know.

"Ever since your parents found out and didn't completely freak out like I thought they would, it just seemed so simple. They didn't question it, they just accepted it. And Provenza, I thought he would be tough on us, but he's been nothing but supportive."

"But they're the exception, Andy! Provenza's our friend. Do you honestly think Chief Pope and Chief Delk are going to be as accepting as them? It could cost us both of our jobs! And that's the reason Fritz and I separated to begin with, because of my job!" Brenda argued.

"Look, Brenda, I've tried to be not like Fritz in so many ways. I've never, ever made you choose me before the job. And I'm not asking that now. I'm just at a point, I don't know what to do anymore." Andy said, eyes downcast. "And then he walks in and I really thought you might let him back in your life, be with someone that you don't have to pretend with."

"Andy, I don't know what to say to make you feel any better. The job and me are part of the same package. I try to do what's right, but it doesn't always come out that way. But you, I don't ever want you to think I'm choosing it over you. I love you more than I thought would be possible. And it scared me to death when you disappeared. I just ask you to hang on, please. I'll make this right somehow, I swear." She held her hand to his chin, brushing along it.

"Let's go for a walk on the beach, get some air. It's a full moon out, it will be beautiful." Andy asked her.

"Fine, let's go. And Andy? Don't ever take off like this again without letting me know where you're going. You scared me to death." Brenda waited til he put his jacket on to hold his hand.

"I'm a big boy, Chief, I can take care of myself." Andy told her.

"Well, you're my big boy, and I like knowing where you are." Brenda retorted.

"Point taken, sweetheart. I'm just off my game today." They stepped on the elevator and stopped talking as there were other people on it. They resumed the conversation when they were down on the beach, walking under the full moon.

"Why are you off your game?" Brenda questioned him.

"When you come to the point where you want to ask someone to marry you and you're scared to death they're going to turn you down, you're off your game. And you're really off your game when you ask Provenza for advice." Andy told her.

"Provenza knows you want to marry me? What did he say about it?" Brenda was curious what the commitment phobic man had told him.

"He told me not to give up on you." Andy replied.

"Really? I thought he would have slapped you upside the head and tell you to snap out of it." Brenda laughed.

"Well, he didn't. He told me that we're good for each other and to not give up. And I'm not giving up. I have way too much to lose." Andy clutched her hand.

As they made their way down the beach, they got to a certain point where Andy stopped her and kissed her. As he was facing her, he suddenly bent down on one knee and took her hand.

"Brenda Leigh Johnson, I just want you to consider marrying me some day. To give it a shot between us. I love you more than you will ever know, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You don't have to answer now, just promise me you will give me a chance. I can't see me without you in my life. And it's not something I want to think about." Andy looked up at her, hoping to see acceptance in her face.

Brenda looked at him, and suddenly felt something more sure inside of her than she'd ever felt in her life. As scared as she was that everything could be ruined, she felt an overwhelming urge to say yes to him right now. To be honest, she'd never felt this strongly about a man before, and for it to be Flynn was a complete surprise to her. She decided she'd have to take the bumps as they came, and said something that surprised Flynn completely.

"I can't see me without you in my life either, Andy. And I want you to know, I love you with all my heart. I've said it before, I feel like my heart is only so big, but you've made it grow so much. So, Andy, I'll marry you, someday." Brenda blurted out.

Andy stared at her in surprise. She'd said yes to marrying him. Not right away, but someday. She'd said yes. He got up off his knees, taking her in his arms and kissing her. He felt happiness sweep through him, completely and utterly.

"Let's say we put that room to some good use? I seem to recall the last time we were here, we got interrupted before we had a chance to finish what we started." Brenda whispered in his ear. She then nuzzled his neck, and he was a goner.

He suddenly bent down and swept her off her feet, carrying her part way back to the hotel before he had to put her down, causing them both to laugh. As they continued their walk back in, he held her hand and made the decision to take her ring shopping as soon as they got back home. Brenda Leigh Johnson was going to be his wife, something he'd never thought he'd see. And he didn't want anything more than that.


	28. Chapter 28

Brenda woke the next morning, looking at the sleeping man beside her. Her fiance. That befuddled her. She'd agreed to marry him, and she couldn't quite believe it. Marriage was really the last thing she'd thought she'd enter into again. And here she was, engaged to Flynn, of all people. She'd never seen that coming, not in a thousand years. She grabbed his shirt off the floor and put it on. When she'd chased after him last night, a change of clothes hadn't been the first thing on her mind, so she had nothing else to wear. She went to the balcony and looked out on the ocean.

Brenda stood there, thumb to her mouth, numbly chewing on it. She lost track of time, watching the waves move in and out. She really did love this place, and was somewhat touched that Andy had come here when he thought he might lose her. Apparently it was a special place to him too. She was startled by Andy's arms snaking around her from behind, pulling her close back to him. She relaxed into his arms.

"We have to head back soon. We're going to be late for work as it is." Brenda remarked.

"You're the Chief, can't we get away with being a little late?" Andy said, kissing her neck.

"Not too late. I still have to go home and change. I kind of left home in a hurry last night, I was worried to death about you." Brenda said, enjoying Flynn's gentle kisses.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I really am." He hugged her close. "Listen, I've been thinking. I put you on the spot last night. If you don't want to marry me, you don't have to. I'm over my fit. Really. I trust you and I want it to be right for you. If you don't want to marry me, it's okay."

Brenda looked out on the ocean again. Andy was letting her off the hook, giving her a way out. She thought about it. She could walk out of here and hope everything between them was normal, but she realized something. Any doubts she had about the two of them left when he held her like this. She didn't want to lose this. As small as she sometimes thought her heart was, it filled with warmth and happiness at the thought of being with him.

"You're not getting out of this that easy, Lt. You asked me to marry you, I intend to make sure you keep your promise of marriage." Brenda said.

Andy smiled. She did want to be his wife. "So, you really want to marry an old bastard like me? Are you really sure?"

"I may need my head examined, but yes, I'm really sure. I'll take the consequences. I love you, Andy. Don't ever doubt that." She turned to face him, cupping his face with her hands. "Now, the question is, why do you want to marry me? You know what I'm like. Given the fact that I'm impossible, work-obsessed and opinionated, why on earth would a man who once thought of me as a bitch want to marry me?"

"Because you're good at putting up a front, but deep down, you are one of the sweetest, most loving people I know. Because I love you so much it hurts sometimes. All those things that I used to think were annoying and untrue, I was wrong. I just hadn't found the right person. Being with you, it's like I found a part of me that was missing. And I'm going to shut up now so I won't embarrass myself with anymore cliches. You do that to me. Everything I thought was a joke, it's not." Andy couldn't believe he was admitting these things to her.

Brenda kissed him and rested her head on his chest, listening to Andy's breathing and heartbeat. These were the moments she loved, the two of them so close. There wasn't anything else she loved more. She hugged him close. As much as she realized she loved him, she also had a feeling of foreboding, like it wasn't going to last. That feeling scared her and she held on to him even more tightly. It scared her how much the thought of losing him now would hurt her. She really did need her head examined, she thought. Shortly afterwards, they got ready to head back for work. Brenda headed home to change, Andy told her he was doing the same.

She arrived home and quickly showered and got ready for work. She finally checked her cellphone, seeing she had three calls from Fritz and ignored them. She needed to get to work, not deal with a man who had suddenly changed his mind on her. That was something she couldn't fathom either, why he wanted her back. He'd made it clear that her work was what had drove him away, and yet, now, he'd reconsidered? And thought she'd welcome him back with open arms? Would she have, if she hadn't been involved with Andy? She didn't know. She liked to think she was above that, not relying on a man wanting her to run back to him when he decided he wanted her. She quickly dressed, pulling her hair back into a ponytail and left for work.

Andy had been relatively quick also in getting ready for work and arrived at the parking lot around the same time as she did. They smiled at each other, falling into step for the three block hike to headquarters. Brenda did a quick look around, seeing no one she knew and at that moment, grabbed Andy's hand for at least part of the walk to work. She was trying, she really was. He was surprised at this, smiling at her, happy that she was becoming less afraid. He didn't even mind when she dropped his hand once they got close to work. All he could do was hope she'd try.

Once they got to the building, he only briefly touched her. When they were getting on the elevator, he put his hand on the small of her back to guide her in, enjoying one last, brief touch before settling into the workday routine. That one touch gave them away to someone who was watching the pair walking together.

Fritz had come to headquarters, determined to talk to Brenda, reason with her, make her see that he was serious that he wanted her back. He'd waited in the lobby for her, hoping to catch her on the way up. Instead, he'd seen her walk in with Flynn, smiling and talking, not a care in the world. It made him curious, the way they walked so closely, so he followed the two of them, taking care not to be seen. Curiosity got the better of him and he watched the two closely. And when Flynn put his hand on the small of Brenda's back to guide her in to the elevator and she let him without protest, Fritz realized exactly who Brenda was seeing. Flynn.

Fritz was stunned. Flynn? She was seeing Flynn? Was she out of her mind? The man had tried everything he could to ruin her life here when she'd first arrived and now she was with him? How long after Brenda and him had separated did he make his move? Waiting til she was the most vulnerable and then moving in on her, Fritz supposed. He couldn't believe Brenda had fallen for him. He should have known that Flynn wasn't just there to work last night. He'd never seen Flynn eager to work, let alone work and not get paid for it. Fritz felt angry and decided to confront Brenda about this. He wasn't going down without a fight. He wanted Brenda back, and given that it was _Flynn_, for god's sake that she was involved with, he figured he still had a chance with her. He just needed to convince her of that.

He climbed on the next available elevator and took it up to the floor Major Crimes was on. Things had miraculously remained mostly the same after the almost shakeup of everything after Brenda hadn't gotten the Chief's job. Somehow, Pope had managed to hang on to the Assistant Chief position and although Brenda had never said anything to him, he was convinced she had something to do with the fact that Pope had remained. Another source of irritation for him. He'd figured that it would be Pope Brenda had entered into an affair with, not Flynn. His mind couldn't grab the concept. Flynn, of all people.

As he entered Major Crimes, Brenda's team stared at him. He walked through it, giving brief waves to the startled looks from Brenda's team members. Flynn looked on him with something akin to disgust, before concentrating on some file on his desk. There was nothing Flynn could do to prevent him from going and seeing Brenda, although he would have loved to have done something. Like punch him in the face for kissing his girlfriend, no, correction, fiance, last night. It took every ounce of willpower Flynn had to stay seated, the only giveaway of his anger was his tightly clenched fists.

Brenda looked up when her door opened and was startled to see Fritz walk in.

"Fritz, what are you doing here?" she asked, wishing he was elsewhere.

"Well, Brenda, you ignored my phone calls and I thought if I showed up we could talk here. I told you, I'm not giving up on you." Fritz responded.

"Look, Fritz, I told you, I'm seeing someone else. I'm not coming back to you. What part of that don't you understand?" Brenda said, frustrated again. Why had he shown up at her workplace, bringing it here?

"Look, Brenda, I know who you're seeing and I have to say, I'm really quite surprised. Flynn, really?"

Brenda turned white, her heart beating rapidly. Fritz knew? All she could think over and over was Oh my God. She pulled herself together quickly, however, intent on projecting that this didn't bother her that he knew.

"Who I'm seeing is no business of yours, Fritz. You gave up the right to know anything about what I do the day you decided to leave." Brenda replied.

"That's rich, Brenda. You're the one who chose your job over me. And now, you're throwing the job away for Flynn? How long did it take for him playing all concerned for you before he managed to get you into bed? Cause I can guarantee you that he had a motive for playing all nice with you. And it sure as hell wasn't cause he wanted to be your "friend"!" Fritz's voice started to raise, he was angry.

"Could you keep your voice down? I'd rather not broadcast to the whole department anything about my private life." Brenda started to get upset.

"So, you are in a relationship with him. God, I thought if anyone, you'd be sleeping with Pope again by now. I mean, he wanted you bad enough while we were still married. Didn't he even try after we split? Or were you too occupied with Flynn to even notice?" Fritz didn't know why he was being like this. He knew he had no right to be. But it still hurt to think Brenda had replaced him with Flynn, of all people.

"You hate Pope, why would you want to know whether he tried to date me after you left? And do you really think I'd tell you? God, Fritz, seriously, why did you come back here? I told you, there is no chance anymore. We're done. Go back to Washington. I'm not going to talk about this anymore!" Brenda was reaching her boiling point.

"Fine, Brenda, we'll do it your way. I won't be back. I think you're a fool for being involved with him. He'll hurt you in the end. Maybe I should go say hi to Delk before I leave. Maybe he'd be interested in the activities of one of his deputy chiefs."

"You wouldn't. Fritz, how could you? Why are you being this way?" Brenda asked.

Fritz looked at her, seeing the deep hurt in her eyes. He couldn't do this to her, not anymore. He was sorry for the way he was acting and he caved. "I won't, Brenda. I'm not that mean. I still love you, I do. I just wish you still loved me."

Brenda looked at him with sadness in her eyes. A part of her would always love him, but she'd moved on. Still, she wondered if she was making the right decision. Fritz would be the safe choice, but he'd hurt her deeply when they'd split. Flynn had helped her pick up the pieces, move on, prove that she could love someone and do her job without it coming in between them. "I'm sorry, Fritz. I just don't love you in that way anymore. I love Andy. I really do."

"He's a lucky man then." Fritz said, the fight going out of him.

"He knows that." Brenda relaxed for the first time and managed to laugh.

"Have you told your father? How'd he take the news?" Fritz was curious. He'd always had a tough time being at ease around Clay Johnson and wondered how he'd take his daughter being in a relationship with a man almost as old as him.

"Daddy took it much better than I expected. And I think Mama and him bonded over taking care of me." Brenda relayed.

"Taking care of you? What happened?" Fritz looked at her with concern.

"A suspect hit me. I ended up with a head wound and a concussion. I was off work for a week. Mama and Daddy flew in to help look after me. They found out about Andy then."

"I would have paid money to see how you're daddy reacted to finding out you were involved with Flynn." Fritz said.

Brenda frowned, not in the mood for jokes. "Fritz, I told you, Andy is not the person you think he is. He's one of the kindest people I know. Daddy likes him. Thinks he can take care of me. So Mama told me."

"Well, I better get going. And don't worry, Brenda. I won't tell anyone. I see that you aren't going to come back to me. But know this, if it ever crashes and burns between the two of you, I'm still here. I love you, Brenda. Know that." Fritz finally stood. He needed to get out of here, he knew he wasn't going to win this battle.

He came around the desk and hugged her goodbye. It was not the end result he'd wanted, but he had to live with choices they both had made. Brenda watched as he left her office and headed out to the squadroom. Out there, Andy trailed behind Fritz as he went to the elevators, curious as to why Fritz had been there and what he'd talked to Brenda about. He was surprised when Fritz turned to speak to him quietly.

"You ever hurt her, you'll answer to me. Be good to her. She deserves it." Fritz said quietly.

"I would never hurt her. I love her." Andy had been startled by Fritz's words. He knew about them, then.

"Keep that in mind. Brenda doesn't love easily. Don't break her heart. I wish you both the best." With that, the elevator arrived and Fritz was gone.

Andy turned towards Brenda's office, curious as to what had been said in there, but letting it go. If she wanted to tell him, she would later. For now, he felt the tightness in his chest leave, as he knew that Brenda had truly decided that he was the one for her. It was all he could do to not rush in there and kiss her senseless, but he refrained. There would be time for that later. He breathed a deep sigh of relief and went back to work.


	29. Chapter 29

Andy took Brenda to a jewellery shop and they looked over rings. Brenda didn't actually care all that much, she'd been down this road before, but Andy wanted to make it official, that they were getting married. He'd picked a lovely one that was within his budget and he proposed once again to her once they got home. He'd done the one knee thing and Brenda had thrown her arms around him and told him once again she was sure she wanted to marry him, regardless of the consequences. That was how Brenda finally decided to take the bull by the horns and at least inform Will Pope of her relationship with Flynn and to take the consequences that may occur because of it.

Will had taken the news calmly, not going ballistic that Brenda was involved with one of her lieutenants. It's not like he could condemn her for it, he'd been her superior all those years ago, after he'd convinced her to come to the D.C. Police department. So, he'd heard her "confession" and told her that she had to keep things out of the office, the personal stuff. At work, their relationship couldn't interfere with the job. If it did, one day one of them may need to be transferred to another department.

Brenda was surprised at Will taking the news so calmly, considering their past, but was happy that all the worry and stress she'd put herself through the last few months was relieved. She was curious, however, why Will hadn't tried to approach her after she had split with Fritz. Fritz's question that day had puzzled her, and she realized she'd never really considered that Will would want to make anything of their relationship again. But now, she wanted to know why. As she sat there, she decided to ask him.

"Will, did you ever think that we may have gotten back together after Fritz left? He thought for sure you would be the first in line at the door. He never could accept the fact that what we had was in the past. I'm just curious." Brenda could be nosy at times, and this was one of them times.

Will looked at her, thinking how to tell Brenda his own bit of secrecy. Finally, he just came out with it. "Brenda, if I'd not been involved with someone, I may have pursued a relationship with you. I have fond memories of our time together, it's what has kept us friends all these years. But, I have to tell you, I've been with this one woman for over a year, and I love her. Timing has never been right between the two of us. But I do have to ask you, why Flynn? He's not who I would ever have pegged you to be with. He's loud, he can be kind of a screw up, he tried to get you fired years ago. So, why Flynn?"

"Why does everyone ask that? Why Flynn? I'm so tired of that question! He kept me going after Fritz left, he was my friend, someone to talk to. Whenever I felt like just giving up, he was there to listen to me. He's not the person that everyone thinks he is. And I know about what he's done in the past, he's told me, and I've forgiven him. We've moved past that." Brenda was miffed.

"Still, given all that, why Flynn?" Will was as nosy as Brenda was.

"Does it matter anymore? We're together, I love him. Even my parents have accepted that fact."

"Your father has accepted Flynn?"

"As much as he's going to, anyway. They got along well when Mama and Daddy were here to look after me." Brenda admitted, still miffed that the two previous men in her life thought that Flynn was an unbelievable choice for her. "Besides, who is this mystery woman that you're involved with? I had no idea you were seeing anyone."

"I could say the same for you, Brenda. I will admit, you've kept it well hidden, your relationship with Flynn. How'd you manage to keep him from crowing about it, I thought for sure he'd have announced it to the world."

"You didn't answer my question, Will. I promise I won't tell anyone. I mean, if I can admit I'm with Flynn, who are you with? Anyone I know?" Brenda was determined to get him to talk.

Will fiddled with a pen in his hand, debating the wisdom of revealing who he was in a relationship with. Finally deciding to tell the truth and considering that Brenda had told him of her relationship, he finally answered, albeit in a very soft voice. "I've been seeing Captain Raydor."

"Captain Raydor? Seriously, Will? Of all people! That woman?" Brenda couldn't believe her ears.

"I thought you two got along! I mean, I haven't had to mediate a fight between you two in ages. And you're one to talk. I mean, Flynn? Really?" Will fought back.

"I'm just surprised, that's all. She's not someone I ever thought you'd be with." Brenda shook her head.

"Well, that may be, but you're making assumptions like I did about Flynn. Once you get to know her, she's nothing like what you think. She's actually a very caring person. Did you know she has children? Good kids, both of them. And she's not the she-devil you sometimes think she is." Will countered.

"I suppose assumptions are making asses of us. I'm just surprised, that's all. You've done a good job of hiding your relationship, just like I have." Brenda said.

"Well, it's something Sharon hasn't wanted to get out. Something about not wanting to get to the top by sleeping with someone higher up. She prefers our privacy, much like you and Flynn do, I suppose. Listen, have you told Delk yet?"

"No, I came to you first. I thought you deserved to know that things between Flynn and I have gotten really serious. He's asked me to marry him." Brenda wondered how Will felt about that.

Will looked at her, regret somewhat in his eyes. Their timing was never right, not since they'd parted years ago. He stood up and came around his desk, holding out his hand to her. "Congratulations, Brenda. I hope you and him will be happy. And I'll try to do what I can to help you on this end. Just don't let your relationship with him interfere with your work. Don't show favouritism to him, you have to forget he's your fiance while you're on the job. If you don't, you're setting yourself up for disciplinary action."

"I know, Will, I know. It's what I've been trying to do since I found myself in a relationship with him. I think we've done very well, keeping the two separate."

"Until you came in here and told me, I had no idea you were involved with him. And Brenda, I would appreciate if you didn't mention to anyone who I'm involved with. She'll kill me if this gets out."

"Don't worry, Will, if you keep my secret, I'll keep yours. Still, Raydor, really?" Brenda stood up, grabbing her bag.

"Brenda, enough. Unless you want me to keep asking "Why Flynn?"" Will smiled.

"Point taken. Good luck, Will. I wish you two the best." Brenda left his office, still surprised. She walked back to Major Crimes, a smile on her face and a little lighter of heart. When she entered, she seen her husband to be sitting at his desk, talking to someone on the phone. She said hello to everyone as she passed by, heading for her office.

She entered, opened her candy drawer and picked a Kit Kat bar out, enjoying it. Andy came in a few moments later, a question in his eyes. It didn't take long for him to get to the point.

"Listen, I've been thinking. We're getting married, and it seems useless that we have two residences right now. I know you like your apartment, but since I own my house, I was wondering if you would like to move in there with me. And if you don't want to move into my house, we could go and look for a place together, buy one in both of our names." Andy was ready to move on with things.

Brenda looked at him, knowing this was a logical step in their relationship. She just hadn't thought about giving up her apartment, but he was right. He did own his own place, she was renting still. It would be right to move into his place. It was a nice place, big enough for the two of them to combine their households. After the torturous exercise of trying to find a place with Fritz a few years ago, she didn't know if she was up to go through the househunting process once again.

"I think maybe you're right, Andy. I think moving into your place would be the thing to do. You know I hate change, but it doesn't make sense for me to keep renting a place when we could move in together. And we can always look for another place if things aren't working out." Brenda surprised even herself by agreeing with the move. "Why didn't you ask me this last night? Why here?"

"I've just been thinking all morning about it, that's all. I just want us to be in one place together, instead of one of us having to go from place to place all the time. But I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you. If you want to look for another place, I'm willing to put my house on the market, we'll look for a place of ours, together. And I'm asking at work, cause I realized this morning, I want to see your face every morning, to be with you every morning. Cause waking up without you there is not something I like to do anymore." Andy felt like such a sap around her all the time. He couldn't help himself around her.

Brenda smiled at him, unbelieving that this tall, rough around the edges man was a bit of a romantic at heart, regardless of how he'd used to put the concept of love down. "I've grown quite used to having you around as well. I'd love to move in with you."

This had went much easier then Andy had expected. He didn't know what to say, he was just happy she'd agreed to this. It was almost as hard as asking her to marry him had been.

"Listen, Andy, I went to Pope, I've told him about us. I figured since we're getting married, it was time to let him know, in case we were in any trouble. But things seem to be okay, as long as we keep our relationship out of the office."

Andy was surprised. He knew she'd accepted his marriage proposal, but had silently figured that even then she'd want to keep their relationship a secret. The fact she'd went to Pope made him happy. It meant she was trying to adapt to things, to be more open. "How'd he take the news?"

"Fine, surprised that I'm involved with you, though. Seems to be a theme whenever anyone finds out about us." Brenda frowned.

"I never thought I was your type either, Chief. I mean, you're a lady, I'm just me. You've been used to a certain way of life and I can't give that to you. But I do love you." Andy said.

"We'll talk more when we get home. And you know I love you." Brenda opened her candy drawer and pulled out a chocolate bar, handing it over to him. "We need to get back to work. I wouldn't want to not being doing our job and get called out on it." She smiled at him, letting him know she was somewhat joking.

"Whatever you say, Chief. But when we get home, I think we should celebrate this decision." Andy smiled at her.

"We'll celebrate it in a way we'll both enjoy. Now, be a good boy and get back to work."

"Yes, ma'am." With that, Andy got up, opening his chocolate bar and heading back to work.

Brenda watched as he sat down at his desk and smiled. That man was going to be her husband, for the good, the bad and everything in between. And for the first time in a long time, Brenda felt relaxed and ready for whatever was to come.


	30. Chapter 30

"I don't think I've been this nervous ever in my life, Mama." Brenda whispered to her mother. She sat at the dressing table, looking at herself in the mirror, applying makeup as she readied for her third walk down the aisle. And final trip, she thought to herself.

"Now don't you worry, Brenda, dear. I have a really good feeling about this marriage. I think this is the one that's going to stick." Her mother said as she fussed over Brenda's hair and a thousand other things as she prepared for her daughter to walk down the aisle. Again.

"But it's the third time! And this is Andy Flynn. I love him, so why am I so nervous?" Brenda continued to fret.

"Haven't you ever heard of third times the charm? This is it, Brenda. Let me tell you something. And I don't mean to hurt you in any way, but I have to say, seeing you around Andy, you're the most sure and confident I've ever seen you around a man. Usually you are bending over backwards to be what the man in your life wants you to be. With Andy, you're yourself. You aren't trying to change to suit him. And he loves that. He loves you. Even a stranger could see that." Willie Rae had taken to her new almost son-in-law quite well once she realized that his intentions were good and he did indeed, love her daughter.

"Oh, mama, you're just saying that." Brenda gave a feeble protest.

"No, no, it's true, Brenda Leigh. I mean, you didn't even want us to know that Fritz was living with you many months into your relationship with him. The first time we met Andy, you stood up to your father. Even back then, you were sure of what you had with this man. Besides, your father likes Andy. He lets him win at poker." Willie Rae chuckled.

"When did Andy ever play poker with daddy?" Brenda asked, curious. Andy had never said anything.

"The other night at the bachelor party. Apparently Andy thought he was being smooth about it, but your father knows. Besides, your father really likes him. Thinks he'll take real good care of you." Willie Rae finished with Brenda's hair and turned her attention to something else.

Brenda stared into the mirror, still fretting. It wasn't that she didn't love Andy. She was just scared that once they got married, things would change. They had with Fritz, and she'd been convinced that he was the love of her life. What if she was as wrong about Andy as she had been about Fritz? Brenda sighed and stood up, makeup finished.

"What do you think?" She asked her mother.

"You look beautiful, dear. It's a good style for you." Willie Rae approved of what she saw.

Brenda had a white dress on(which she kind of laughed at, a white dress at a third wedding?), nothing like her previous gown had been. This one was of a flowing material, fitted to her body, but draping out at the bottom. It was strapless and she looked stunning. No veil, her hair was curled and loose, draped on her shoulders, with a couple of flowers wound into it.

"Thank you, Mama." Brenda looked wistful. She thought of Andy and wondered if he was feeling nervous at all. Probably not, he was the one who was so sure of this move. She also wondered where he was. Going with tradition this time, the groom had spent the night at his best man's house, not seeing the bride the day of the wedding. The wedding was being held in their backyard. They'd sold Andy's house and purchased one together, one that had a surprisingly big backyard. That's where the wedding was being held, this time with friends and family actually being invited to the ceremony. Brenda didn't want to hide anymore, she'd spent enough of their relationship doing that. Brenda, Andy and her parents had spent the time setting up and decorating yesterday, along with her man of honour and his girlfriend. She'd asked Will to stand up with her, because she wasn't particularly close to any woman here in L.A. And Andy had wanted Provenza to stand up as his best man. So, she'd asked Will and he'd accepted. Brenda never had done anything the usual way. Of course, helping to decorate had come part and parcel with Sharon Raydor helping, which Brenda hadn't minded. Over the last few months, both women had called a truce to any animosity that they held towards each other and become somewhat friends. Not enough to be asked to be maid of honour, but enough that they actually had done lunch once or twice. That had made Will happy.

The weather had dawned clear and bright. It had turned out to be a gorgeous day. Brenda however, kept waiting for something to go disastrously wrong. Like a case that had to call them all in. But so far, nothing had happened to justify her worry. She just really wished the day was over and she was off on her honeymoon. This time, they were going to Hawaii, a far cry and a world away from her last honeymoon. She looked forward to the sun and sand and sounds of the ocean, far away from here.

"Mama, do you think he'll show up? Or do you think he'll get cold feet?" Brenda suddenly asked.

Willie Rae chuckled at her daughter. The girl was worrying over absolutely nothing. There wasn't anything that would keep Andy from going down that aisle and making her a Flynn. Even if she wouldn't take his name officially.

"Are you looking to get out of this marriage, sweetheart? Are you that unsure of marrying him? Because the thing to do would be to stop this now, before you go through with the legalities." Willie Rae prodded her.

"No, no, I want to marry him. I'm just afraid he'll change his mind. Think I've been too hard to live with. Get out before he makes anything permanent." Brenda had a way of talking too much.

"If you don't know how serious he is about you by now, you never will. This man would die for you, Brenda. He loves you. I don't know how to make you realize that. You need to quit worrying." Willie Rae, although patient, had a limit.

"Oh, I know, Mama. I just don't know why he's so sure I'm the one for him. He's always been more sure of everything than I have." Brenda picked up her bouquet, just as she heard a knock at the door. Willie Rae asked who it was and Will answered. She let him in to the room.

"The guests are seated and the groom has arrived. It's almost time to get this thing started." Will said. He looked at Brenda, glad that she'd wanted him to be a part of her wedding. Everything with Fritz had seemed to leave him out, but this time around, Brenda had made sure he was included. He'd never been a "man of honour" so to speak and was surprised Brenda had asked him. But he figured that he was as close to a best friend as she had, and had been delighted to do this for her.

"Don't you think we're just overdoing this a tad bit? This is my third marriage." Brenda continued to fret.

"Well, not everyone knows that, dear. Besides, I'm sure this is the last time I'll see you get married. I'm getting to old for this." Willie Rae joked.

"Mama!" Brenda said, before realizing her mama was joking. Will couldn't contain his laughter and let it go.

"Will!" Brenda would have stomped her foot if she could have without looking like a child having a tantrum.

"Your father is waiting downstairs for you. Are you ready to do this?" Will asked her, all joking aside.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Brenda sighed, adjusting her dress slightly. She still felt a little silly, wearing white for the third time. "Where's Sharon?"

"She's seated already. For a small wedding, you sure have enough people invited this time." Will remarked.

"Well, Andy knows a lot of people. And there are people from work both of us wanted here. And this time, my brothers were able to make it. Even Charlie came." Brenda had been pleased at that. She loved her niece and hadn't known if she'd be able to make it to the wedding, but she'd been happy to come to her aunt Brenda's wedding. She hadn't questioned Brenda what had happened with Fritz. She'd liked Fritz well enough, but knew the man had a bit of a temper.

"I take it this turned into something a whole lot bigger than you'd hoped. You have a nice backyard for this sort of thing." Will liked the place.

"Well, we weren't doing the whole searching for churches thing again. And we realized our yard is huge and we could do it here. It just made things easier." Brenda had been happy about that. They'd never fill the yard with children, but she loved it anyways. She had discovered a bit of a talent for gardening the last few months and when she wanted to forget about a case or a bad day, she'd go out there and putter around. It had been so much easier to pick a house this time. She marvelled that they'd both fallen for this house almost immediately, and their offer had been accepted quickly. She felt lucky.

"Let's go, Brenda. Let's not keep Andy waiting any longer than he already has." her mother chirped.

"Alright, Mama. I'm ready." Brenda smiled and held her mother's hand.

Will held open the door for both women and he followed them out. Brenda carefully went down the stairs, followed by her mother and Will. Her father waited at the bottom, smiling when he seen her.

"You do make a lovely bride, Brenda Leigh." he said.

"Well, daddy, this is the last time you get to do this. I'm never getting married again." Brenda joked, her earlier mood leaving her.

"You better be right on that, darlin'. I think you finally managed to pick the right man. I like him." Clay had discovered he did like Andy a lot. He wasn't dismissive like Fritz had been, and didn't seem to mind playing cards with an old man. Probably was used to it from hanging around with that Provenza.

"Well, I'm glad, Daddy. I believe this is the only one of the men I've married you've ever talked nice about." Brenda smiled.

"I didn't say I didn't like the other two. They just weren't good enough for my little girl. This one is."

Brenda smiled, she had her daddy's approval overwhelmingly this time. It made her happy. They made their way through the house to the back patio doors. Brenda looked out on the people seated and said "I'm ready."

Will went to find Provenza and Andy, telling them she was ready for this and to get this show on the road. One didn't keep Brenda Leigh Johnson waiting when she was ready to do something. And apparently, she was finally ready to get married.


	31. Chapter 31

_**A/N: So, I've come to the end of this journey with this fic. I've loved writing it, I love this pairing. I'm debating a sequel, but for now, I'm bringing Impossible to a close. Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to read and review this. I've appreciated each and every review I've received, as it meant that someone was actually reading this, lol! I hate to say goodbye to this story, but I think I've wrapped it up in a good place. Again, thanks for reading, it is much appreciated!**_

Before arriving back at his new home, Andy had spent the morning pacing back and forth in Provenza's house. He was like a caged animal, ready to go and get this over and done. He wanted to be married to Brenda, badly. In all his life, he'd never felt like he'd done something so right as he had when he'd asked her to marry him. He felt like a big sap, that's what she'd done to him.

Provenz watched his friend, amused by the sight. Now that the shoe was on the other foot, he couldn't find it within himself to torment Flynn like Flynn had once tortured him. He hated to say it, but love was good for the younger man. It made him more bearable all around.

"Nobody put a gun to your head and said it had to be a big wedding, Flynn. You could have eloped to Vegas months ago." Provenza commented.

"I wanted to. It was too late. She'd told her mother and they'd started in on big plans. Said if this was the last time she was doing this, everyone she loved was going to be there this time. Even you, Provenza." Flynn smiled.

"I bet she didn't count on you wanting me to be your best man. All joking aside, Flynn, I'm honoured, I truly am." Provenza wasn't used to being overly sappy either.

"You'd have been a pain in my ass if I'd chosen anyone else." Andy laughed.

"You know it." Provenza snarked back.

"What can I say? After the hard time you gave me about my relationship with her, you were the first one who officially knew. And you kept our wishes on keeping it quiet. Besides, who else do I have? You are my best friend, Louis, whether you want to be or not." Flynn took the chance of using Provenza's first name. He figured he'd earned the right by now.

"Yeah, I know. You have the same honour. Now, shall we get you to the wedding, or are you going to stand here flapping your gums all day? I thought you actually wanted to get married. Or are you stalling? Still sure you want to do this one more time?" Provenza teased him.

"Never been more sure of anything in my life." Flynn answered honestly.

"Then you're a bigger idiot than I thought." Provenza muttered, dodging the slap to his arm that came his way.

"Remind me to torment you when you decide to walk down the aisle for the fifth time. Again." Flynn said, checking his appearance in a mirror before heading towards the front door.

"I'm not stupid, Flynn. I'm eloping to Vegas and not telling anyone." Provenza straightened his tie as he too got ready to leave.

"I expect round trip tickets and to be your best man. It's only fair." They continued the conversation as they went to the car that awaited them outside.

"Only fair for who? What am I getting out of this whole wedding deal? Nothing, I tell you, nothing!" Provenza said as he manoeuvred the car through traffic.

In no time they pulled up in front of the house that Brenda and Andy now called home. It wasn't a huge wedding, but there were a fair number of cars that lined the street. Andy looked with interest up at the windows, wondering if he'd catch a glimpse of Brenda looking out. Disappointed, he continued on the path to go around the house to the backyard, knowing the house was off-limits. His colleagues and friends saw him enter the backyard and he was surrounded by them, shaking hands and offering congratulations. There was also some teasing on a few of their parts, but even that he accepted with grace and humour. It wasn't like him at all.

Pretty soon, Brenda's mother appeared at the patio doors and signalled that Brenda was ready. Everyone took their seats and the music started up. Flynn and Provenza walked down the aisle, taking their place in front of a justice of the peace. Neither could agree on a particular religion to take their vows in front of, so settled for a civil ceremony. No matter, it was legal. That was what counted. Andy watched the doors, seeing her father come out first, followed by Brenda. She took Andy's breath away, she was beautiful. With her hair down and looking only at him, he couldn't wait for her to stand beside him.

Andy couldn't remember much of anything of the ceremony. He was too busy looking at Brenda, her smile that was only for him, how lovely she looked. He remembered almost choking up as he said his vows to her, meaning every word of them. He intended to make sure this was their last marriage. He never wanted anyone else. He did remember putting the ring on her finger, saying the words that made her a Flynn, no matter if she did keep her own name. And he did remember the kiss. It was sweet, it was wonderful and it was their first as a married couple. When the guests clapped, they turned to face them, surrounded by the ones they love. Even Will Pope seemed to smile on approvingly.

Their friends quickly cleared the chairs and helped set up tables after the ceremony. It was more like a huge family get together than a wedding, but that added to the specialness of their day. For two people who had felt like outsiders at one time, it was wonderful. Finally he had a chance to talk to his wife.

"So, do you regret any of this?" Andy asked her.

"No, no, I just wish we were on our honeymoon already. I missed you last night. Damn me, going with tradition this time around." Brenda said, swaying gently in his arms.

"We could have eloped. That was always an option." Andy said, delighted to hold her close to him.

"Yes, but Mama would have killed me. This was the first time she actually got to have a wedding for me with the bells and whistles. I eloped with the first idiot, I didn't have a real traditional wedding with Fritz. I just decided to let her have her way with this one. She did wonderfully, don't you think?" Brenda asked, snuggling closer to her husband.

"Yeah, she did great. You did great. I love you, Brenda Leigh. More than you'll ever know." Andy held her even closer.

They spent the rest of their time at their reception alternating between greeting people and dancing with them. As much as they'd doubted anyone would accept them together, people were genuinely happy for them. At the end of the evening, they made their escape, leaving the cleanup to her parents and their friends. They'd booked a suite at a hotel, their flight for Hawaii leaving early the next morning. Their luggage was already waiting for them there, another thing Flynn had done in preparation for the honeymoon. They were set to go.

Once they were alone, Brenda felt as nervous with him as she'd felt the first time, so long ago. She shivered in the coldness of the room, Andy noticing immediately. He came over, pulling her into his arms.

"What's wrong? Do you think this is a big mistake?" Andy was worried that she'd suddenly doubt doing this, rejecting him.

"No, this isn't a mistake. I love you, Andy. It just doesn't seem real. Like we're in this perfect little bubble and it's going to be broken so easily." Brenda voiced her fears, mostly because of the past letdowns in her life. He turned her to face him, kissing her gently on the lips.

They stayed that way for a moment, entwined like a classical Greek statue, their eyes meeting in a deep intense gaze that seemed to envelope them in a delicate silence. Her hands moved to his chest, undoing the buttons of his shirt and untucking it from his pants. She lightly raked her nails up his torso, causing him to hiss and arch his back. She chuckled softly.

"You enjoy torturin' me, don't you?" Andy whispered with a smile on his lips as he continued to gaze down at his wife.

Their eyes met again as she whispered "Oh, come now, this is nowhere near torture." She reached up to kiss him, her nervousness now forgotten. She'd missed having him in her bed last night.

She nudged him forward slightly, so she could remove his shirt, making sure to get his arms out of the sleeves without him turning around. He leaned back into her, his bare skin touching her as she took her turn of holding him in her arms. She stood on tiptoe, kissing his ear delicately and he began to crumble. He pretended to succumb for a few more moments as her lips found the back of his neck and continued on a climb to his jaw. While she returned to his ear and seemed to be giving a great deal of focus to it, he flipped around and pinned her to him, kissing her deeply. Somehow, they fell to the bed, and he pinned her, his legs wrapping around her waist to hold her down against the bed. She grinned up at him, looking anything but innocent.

Andy took a long minute to observe his wife. She was all curves and shadows, he loved to look at her, even after all this time. To him, she was perfect, her body curvy and wonderful to explore. He smiled then he looked into her chocolate eyes. She was staring at him intently, when she decided to take control once again. She sat up quickly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss that caught him off guard. Her hands attacked his belt buckle in earnest, removing it from the loops in one quick motion before throwing it to the floor and going to work on the zipper of his pants. Once she had that undone, she looked at him and smiled. He smiled and went to work on getting her to be as unclothed as him. She'd put on a dress to leave for the hotel, and he made quick work of it, leaving her in a black slip. The straps had fallen to the sides of her shoulders and he made quick work of taking it off of her, leaving her in very little. He loved to look at her.

Slowly, he lowered himself down to the bed, inching his way closer to her mouth. He loved to tease her, it made him feel powerful, especially when most of the time, she was the one who held the control. As always, the power trip wouldn't last long, for she had other plans and grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling his mouth to hers. He laughed against her soft lips as she kissed him. Instead of fighting her for dominance, he situated himself on top of her, lying between her thighs and wrapping his arms around her waist.

They kissed for a few minutes (or was it a few hours?) before both of them started to explore with their mouths, she nibbling on his neck, him on other, more interesting places. She hissed against his warm flesh, he knew the areas that drove her wild. He looked at her, once again realizing how beautiful she was, plain and simple. Finally, she whispered to him "I need you." and he came undone. He made quick work of what little clothing she still had on. He eased into her, and she arched into him, bringing their bodies closer together as they started to move in rhythm. Slowly at first, then speeding up as their passion intensified. He kissed her, as he had her pinned to the bed, varying speed and depth with every dip of his hips. Both fell victim to each other in one blissful haze after another.

Neither spoke a word, or needed to, their actions were automatic yet never felt tedious. Their actions rapidly sent them over the edge and together, for several long minutes, neither seemingly breathed, only laid there on the bed together. Andy finally turned them on their sides, facing one another.

"I'll never get tired of that." Brenda said, kissing his neck.

"Neither will I." he answered back, his breathing shallow.

After their extremely busy day, and an early morning flight to look forward to, they eventually broke apart and got ready for bed. As they fell asleep as a married couple for the first time, both had smiles on their faces, never having thought that they'd find love and happiness with one another. Whatever else may happen to them, they had this, they had each other. And for them, it was enough. More than enough.


End file.
